Afrobeats star Tiwa Savage has stated why she does not consider herself the “Queen of Afrobeats,” as well as speaking about her previous relationship with a fellow prominent personality, which left her feeling disrespected.
Speaking on the Joe Budden Podcast, the singer described how the man, whose identity she did not reveal, insisted on keeping their connection covert while freely socializing with other women in her presence.
“No, it’s a disrespect. Like, you know, I’m a public figure, and he is as well,” she said.
According to Savage, he told her that he didn’t want the connection made public because he didn’t want anyone to know.
“He did this thing where he’s just like, ‘I don’t want us to go public because I don’t want people to know and all that kind of stuff.’ So I’m like, Okay, cool,” Savage said.
However, she added that the situation soon became uncomfortable, saying, “Then it was like, okay, when we go out, I might be talking to other people, but I’m just doing it so people don’t suspect. And I’m like, Okay, but how far are you going with this?”
Savage recalled attending events with him and watching him interact closely with others while still claiming it was part of protecting their relationship.
She said, “We might be in the same event, and he’s working the room, probably like talking and rubbing, and I’m there.
“He’s still looking at me like I’m just doing it. And I can’t say anything. And it’s in front of me.”
Savage did not name the colleague but emphasized that the encounter was one of the reasons the relationship failed.
During the interview, she was also asked if she considered herself the “Queen of Afrobeats,” which she declined.
“I just think that if I say that, then what am I? Are the other girls who are doing it and killing it not queens? I think we’re all queens,” she said.
Furthermore, she reflected on being one of the first African female artists signed to Universal Music Group, saying that while people now celebrate the milestone, she remembers the struggles that came with it.
“Before I could be the first, there were a lot of no’s.
“That’s what I see, the struggle and the challenge,” Savage concluded.
