One of Africa’s biggest recording artists, Tiwa Savage joined forces with renowned pop superstar, Sam Smith who features on her new song “Temptation”.
Tiwa is less than one week away from unveiling her new album “Celia”.
In the run up, the superstar was interviewed by Apple Music’s Zane Lowe where she talked about how the collaboration came to be, the growth of the Afrobeat game and the music coming out of Africa.
Tiwa said she didn’t expect Sam to feature on her song.
“I heard a chorus and right then and there I knew that it was special. I sat with it for days just trying to get the perfect topline.
“I said to my team ‘I hear Sam Smith, but I know that’s never going to happen’.
“About six months later my manager called me to say Sam is going to do the record. Even then, I told her this is impossible. Five days later she called me again to say the vocals were in. I heard it and had goosebumps,” said Tiwa.
She said their voice changed the whole face of the project.
“It is incredible. And it just changed the whole face of the project. This is really happening for Afrobeat,” she said.
Tiwa said that she is so grateful for the record but because of what it means her genre and the movement she is pushing.
“I said to my mom, when she moved me to London, I was bullied so much for being African.
”I used to try and change my accent, and pretend like I wasn't African. And it wasn't cool. And now being African is one of the coolest things, and afrobeat is the fastest growing genre.
“And for me, it's a blessing to live and witness both, to see how it went from not being cool, to being one of the most sought after genres,” said Nigeria’s Queen of Afrobeats.
She said Afrobeat is shining a different light on the continent.
“Africa, we have to rewrite our story. I think it's been written in so many different ways.
“And so many people have the wrong impression of Africa.
“And now having huge legends like Beyoncé doing a movement such as “Black is King” and shining just a different light on my continent, it's just amazing, she said.