Nigerian singer and queen of Afrobeat, Tiwa Savage, has shared how the pain of a heartbreak inspired her tattoo.

She noted that she had to fly in the tattoo artist from Los Angeles to her house in Lagos because she didn’t want to express her pain publicly in a tattoo parlour.

The “Mega Money Mega” crooner, while speaking in a recent interview, disclosed that the session was bloody and the tattoo artist was worried.

“I flew in my tattoo artist from LA to Nigeria. And I did it [the tattoo] in my room. So I was in an environment where I was comfortable. When you are in a tattoo parlour, sometimes a lot of people are working, and then you are going through that pain. I wanted to make sure that I was in a comfortable place.
“My tattoo artist walked in and was like, ‘What are you doing?… Is that going to come off?’ He started tattooing my body, and there was blood everywhere. So he was more concerned for me, like, ‘What are you trying to do?’”
Tiwa Savage

According to her, she wanted to do something to scream. “I did that [the tattoo] from the pain I felt from a heartbreak,” she explained.

“Last two years was a very hard time. The relationship I experienced was crazy. I’m so happy I’m out of that relationship.”
Tiwa Savage

Tiwa Savage Faults Afrobeats ‘Big 3’ Ranking

The Nigerian music icon stirred heated debate in the Afrobeats community following her bold dismissal of the popular ‘Big 3’ narrative.

The ‘Big 3’ tag traditionally refers to Wizkid, Burna Boy, and Davido, who are often regarded as the leading figures of Afrobeats.

However, Savage, widely celebrated as the Queen of Afrobeats, believes the label reflects underlying gender bias.

Performing at her recent concert in London, England, the award-winning singer paused midway through her set and said, “I don’t want to say a lot of things because I will be trending by tomorrow. F**k the Top 3.”

Her outburst quickly went viral, with fans divided over her stance. Many noted that despite her global impact and consistency, Tiwa Savage is frequently excluded from male-dominated Afrobeats rankings.

In another highlight of the night, Savage surprised fans by bringing her son, Jamil, on stage for the very first time.

Interestingly, she had previously stated in an interview that she would not allow him to pursue a music career, citing the challenges of the industry.

The moment has since sparked discussions online, reigniting the conversation about women’s recognition and representation in Afrobeats.

Tiwa Savage on the Music Industry

Nigeria’s Afrobeats Queen claimed that the music industry is “filled with darkness”.

The ‘You 4 Me’ hitmaker said that despite the “darkness” in the industry, her faith in God has kept her grounded and stopped her from “falling”.

“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.”
Tiwa Savage

The songstress further disclosed that many people dismissed her recent album ‘This One Is Personal’ because it had no “big-name 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. They just automatically concluded that because I don’t have those features on the album, it’s not going to be good. 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?”
Tiwa Savage

She said, despite the doubts, she stayed true to her artistry and embraced making a vulnerable record without club hits.

The singer also stated that she values having the right supporters over millions of fans and is grateful her work is finally out

“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. 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. 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

Savage had earlier made a similar remark in January, describing the music industry as “filled with dangerous sharks.”