Tiwa Savage, the Queen of Afrobeats, bares her soul in This One Is Personal — her first R&B album inspired by heartbreak, healing, and resilience
“Heartbreak Made Me Do It”: Tiwa Savage Unveils Soul-Baring R&B Album This One Is Personal
Tiwa Savage, Afrobeats’ undisputed Queen, is stepping into uncharted territory with her most daring project yet — an R&B album titled This One Is Personal.
After years of dominating Afrobeats stages from Lagos to London, Tiwa is peeling back the layers of glamour and confidence to reveal raw vulnerability.
In an interview with Billboard, she describes the album as a product of heartbreak, healing, and self-discovery — a journey that demanded she pour her soul into music like never before.
“I was literally heartbroken into this album,” Tiwa confessed. “I went through a really painful breakup at the exact time I was supposed to record. The only way I could express what I was feeling was through R&B. It wasn’t planned — it was survival.”
Recorded in Nashville, Lagos, San Francisco, Malibu, and London, the project blends classic R&B with Tiwa’s Afrobeats roots. For her, London — where she first fell in love with music — provided a deeply nostalgic backdrop.
“Recording in London was a full-circle moment. That’s where I discovered soul and R&B as a teenager. Nigeria will always be home, but the U.K. shaped my sound in ways people are only going to understand when they hear this record,” she explained.
This One Is Personal is filled with nods to R&B greats. From vocal layering inspired by Brandy to reimagining Tamia’s “So Into You” on the lead single You 4 Me, Tiwa’s influences shine brightly.
“I don’t think there’s anybody who doesn’t love that Tamia record. Sampling it felt like the right way to introduce this project. It’s pure nostalgia, but with my own story wrapped inside it,” she said.
One of the most powerful tracks, I’m Done, almost didn’t make the cut. Tiwa admitted she broke down in tears during recording and initially felt it was “too raw” to share.
“Even now, sometimes I can’t listen to it. It takes me back to a place that’s still really deep,” she revealed. “But when fans tell me they cried listening because it mirrored their own heartbreak — that makes me glad I left it in.”
Though the project is R&B at its core, Afrobeats remains in Tiwa’s DNA.
“I’m versatile. Whether it’s Afrobeat, R&B, or soul — it has to feel authentic to me. Growing up in the UK and U.S., I lived in those genres. This isn’t me abandoning Afrobeats; it’s me adding another chapter,” she said.
Tiwa has long been a trailblazer — often the first woman to shatter Afrobeats barriers, from endorsements to global collaborations. But with that has come scrutiny.
“Being first sounds glamorous, but it’s hard. You’re the experiment. You get criticized before anyone else does it. I was told my tattoos made me a bad example, that brands wouldn’t touch me. But I kept going — and now people call it iconic,” she reflected.
Unlike the competitive framing often imposed on women in music, Tiwa insists there’s space for everyone.
“Nobody tells Burna or Wiz to retire so others can shine. So why should it be different for women? There’s space for me, Tems, Ayra Starr, Bloody Civilian — all of us. We can coexist,” she declared.
Though deeply personal, Tiwa insists her album speaks to anyone who has faced heartbreak.
“I want fans to feel my pain but also feel hope. The last track, Change, says it all. No matter how hard it feels, you’ll get through it. It sounds cliché, but clichés exist because they’re true,” she said with a soft smile.
For someone who has worked with Beyoncé, Brandy, Nas, and now Skepta, Tiwa’s definition of success has shifted.
“When I see fans in New Zealand singing word for word to songs I didn’t even release as singles — that’s success. That’s impact. Awards and Grammys are amazing, and I still want them, but connection is what matters most,” she said.
As she readies This One Is Personal for release, Tiwa Savage is no longer just Afrobeats royalty. She’s staking her claim as a global voice in R&B — one willing to risk it all to tell her truth. Read More
