Nigerian singer Tiwa Savage has revealed that she wasn’t a sexy diva initially, stressing that she was a tomboy before venturing into music.

She explained that during her days as a songwriter abroad, she wore baggy clothes before meeting her ex-husband and former manager, Tunji Balogun, aka Teebillz, who rebranded her.

Featuring in a recent episode of the Afrobeats Intelligence podcast hosted by Joey Akan, Savage recounted how Teebillz rebranded her into a sex symbol after relocating to Nigeria to pursue a singing career.


She said, “The sexiness in my 2024 single ‘Wanted’ music video felt groundbreaking at that time. Because I just got married and there’s a lot of press saying, ‘She’s not going to be desirable anymore. She’s finished. Her time is gone. There are new people on the scene.’ So, I was just like, let me do something crazy.

“That was me being rebellious. I was like, Oh! You guys think I’m not sexy anymore? To be honest, that wasn’t the aim, to just try to be sexy. Because naturally, I’m not. Naturally, I’m a tomboy. But again, TJ [Tunji Balogun] saw that there was a gap in the market and he was just like, you’ve to lose weight, you’ve to go to the gym, you’ve to start waxing your eyebrows. You’ve to start wearing wigs. He literally changed my whole appearance. I was not like that in L.A. when he met me.

“I used to be a songwriter in the studio wearing baggy jeans and t-shirt. And he literally changed that. I don’t think that he thought there was going to be a backlash. He was just like, let’s give them the African Rihanna or Beyoncé. I was like, okay, let’s go ahead. And we came back to Nigeria, but my fashion sense attracted criticism. Then, I ran back to L.A.

“I was really bad. I would go to shows and I would be waiting backstage and they wouldn’t call me because maybe the governor’s wife had said I can’t come up or they’d say, make sure you don’t wear any of those your skimpy dresses. I’m not making this up. There was a time, ‘Love Me’ was banned on TV. I was discouraged. I remembered Bizzle called me and told me ladies were loving me, so I came back to Nigeria. I’ve told the story where I went to all the labels and they all said no, Storm Records, Mo’Hits, Banky W’s EME, everyone.”

Famous Nigerian Afrobeat musician, Rema, has expressed joy for being trolled on social media.


In a video interview posted on social media, Rema noted that he enjoyed being trolled because of the benefit that comes with it.

While reflecting on his career journey, the singer stated that being constantly trolled online helps him in achieving global success and growth.


Rema who endured skepticism about his unique sound noted how devastating it would’ve been if he had abandoned his ambitions over negative comments.

He said, “It is beautiful to see something that people troll and criticise me for. And, you know what? I’m benefiting from that. Imagine if I had stopped or listened to trolls. Like if I should say oh, I think I should switch it off.

“And four years later, it paid and it paid. And more to come. You know, because it’s a huge territory, right? And I was actually the first Afrobeat to tour India. And I even came from Africa if I’m not mistaken. But it is a huge deal.

Popular Nigerian actress, Kudirat Ogunro, has claimed that not prioritising sex life can reduce the beauty of a woman.

The controversial actress stated this in her recent post on her Instagram page.

Ogunro made this statement while advising women to prioritise their sexual life to maintain attractiveness.

Sharing her sultry picture, she wrote, “Lack of sex reduces a woman beauty, please adjust. I have said my own”.

Her post sparked diverse reactions on the internet, with some supporting that healthy sex life boosts a woman’s confidence, while many contended that beauty can’t be solely linked to one’s sex life.

This is not the first time Ogunro has stirred controversy. In 2023, she faced backlash for stating that a woman’s happiness is tied to her man’s financial generosity.

With this new claim, she once again positions herself at the center of Nigeria’s ongoing cultural war on gender, sex, and perception.