Tiwa Savage releases first single with Motown Records
The weekend is here and Nigerian-born artist Tiwa Savage has released her new single, “49-99,” on Motown Records.
This is Tiwa Savage’s first release with Motown Records that serves as her US label since signing her deal international deal with Universal Music Group.
Ethiopia Habtemariam, President of Motown Records and EVP of Capitol Music Group, said, they were excited to work with Tiwa Savage, who is one of Africa’s most talented and prolific singer-songwriters of this generation.
“Tiwa Savage has been at the forefront of creating music from the continent that connects people from around the globe. It is Tiwa’s undeniable gifts, immense talent, work ethic and resilience that has prepared her for this next chapter and we at Motown are proud to be support her on this journey,” said the President
Savage recently recorded ‘Keys to the Kingdom’, a song that she co-wrote for the soundtrack The Lion King: The Gift after being hand-picked to do so by Beyoncé.
The year 2018 was a remarkable year all-around for her. She was named Best African Act at the MTV European Music Awards, making history as the first female to win the award.
She was handpicked by Coldplay’s Chris Martin to perform alongside Beyoncé, Ed Sheeran and JAY Z live at the Global Citizen Festival to an 70,000 strong audience and millions across the globe.
While utterly infectious, “49-99” makes a powerful statement about poverty. Tiwa Savage says, “‘49-99’ is a term coined from the hard life many Nigerians go through.
A town service bus serves as a case study. It ought to have only 49 seated passengers, however due to poor economic conditions, we often have nearly twice that number of passengers standing (99).
Born in Lagos, Nigeria, Savage first sang back-up vocals for the late George Michael, and later graduated from the esteemed Berklee College of Music. After moving to Los Angeles, she racked up studio sessions with Frank Ocean, Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds, Fantasia, and more.
Savage says 49-99 encourages the young to put down the sense of inheritance and work for what they desire in life, for a better tomorrow.
“ We can’t sit on our old glories and expect things to change for the better. ‘49-99’ also addresses some political leaders who, instead of focusing on the growth of a nation, are there just for the money and having affairs with underage girls – while the citizenry is hustling hard to make a daily living,” she says.
