Afrobeats star Tiwa Savage has revealed that her transition from R&B to mainstream Afrobeats was far from easy after she returned to Nigeria in 2012.
Before becoming one of Africa’s biggest music exports, the singer built her early career abroad as a backup vocalist for American icon Mary J. Blige. Her decision to relocate back home came as the Nigerian music scene began gaining global momentum.
Speaking in a recent interview on Arise TV, Savage explained that adapting from her R&B background to Nigeria’s evolving “street sound” required a major creative adjustment.
She admitted the shift initially challenged her artistic identity, especially as she tried to fit into a rapidly changing industry dominated by Afrobeats.
Her breakthrough came after signing with Mavin Records, where she worked under producer and label boss Don Jazzy.
According to her, Don Jazzy played a key role in reshaping her mindset and expanding her musical versatility beyond R&B.
“It was difficult for me to transition from R&B to street sounds,” she said. “But when I was at Mavin Records, Don Jazzy opened my mind to so many different things.”
She added that he encouraged her to see talent as limitless, pushing her to experiment with different sounds and step outside her comfort zone.
“He took me out of that R&B bubble and introduced me to other sounds,” she explained, noting that the experience helped redefine her artistic direction.
Since then, Tiwa Savage has grown into one of the leading voices in Afrobeats, with a career that blends global influence and African rhythm, helping push the genre onto the world stage.
