Tiwa Savage has described the music industry as “filled with darkness.” Speaking during an Instagram Live session, the ‘You 4 Me’ singer lamented the pervasive negativity in her profession, saying, “This industry is filled with so much darkness. I wish you guys knew, so much darkness. But I thank God that I’ve kept my eyes on Him. I haven’t fallen.”
She revealed that many critics dismissed her latest album, This One Is Personal, because it lacked high-profile features. “When I put out the track list of my album, I saw so many people saying I didn’t feature the big names from America or the A-listers.” She reflected, “They just automatically concluded that because I don’t have those features on the album, it’s not going to be good.”
Tiwa emphasized her commitment to artistic integrity over commercial validation. “I wish people understood music the way I understand it. Yes, I don’t have huge cosigns, and I wasn’t actively seeking them. All I have is all I have, isn’t it? Honestly, having you guys is enough for me. Sometimes, like they say, you don’t need a lot of people, you just need the right people. I don’t need millions of fans, I just need the right ones.”
The album’s creation was a journey marked by resistance and vulnerability. “It took over two years, and now it’s out. There were so many hurdles I wish I could tell you guys about—the fights, the challenges, the people who doubted me and told me that doing this type of vulnerable record wouldn’t work, that nobody would listen or care.” She continued, “People just want to hear gbedu, bangers, and club records. I don’t have any club records, and they said it wasn’t going to work, that people wouldn’t stream it.”
Tiwa Savage’s remarks resonate with her earlier observation in January, when she likened the music business to being “filled with dangerous sharks.”
