With the release of her fourth studio album, Celia, Tiwa Savage is once again establishing herself as one of the most refreshing and thoughtful artists on the Nigeria pop charts. Celia is an album for the modern African woman, and that seems to be an intentional choice from Ms. Savage; the cover art by Ibra Ake, depicts both Savage and her mother Celia (for whom the album is named after and dedicated to), two different images of the African woman existing alongside each other. In Savage’s own words, her vision of the modern African woman, “still values her culture and her upbringing, but she’s also well-travelled, so it’s blending those two worlds.”
Nigeria is going through a kind of cultural shift right now, and this isn’t even the first time we’ve experienced this kind of social change. History is overwhelmingly cyclical, and in the 70’s a similar kind of movement was taking place in terms of visual art, music, and social justice.
Since then, a few regime changes and a recent history of reactionary politics have taken us a few steps backwards, and we have become a pretty conservative nation–but younger generations always tend to be more liberal than their parents. Especially with a lot of Nigerian youth who have had the privilege of going abroad for school, and have brought some of that experience home with them. The way we dress is changing, the food we eat is changing (pinkberry, anyone?), and that can be a little scary for older generations, who fear that we are losing our culture, or rejecting tradition.
In some ways we are, but only the things that harm us. For many women, the pressure to marry young, to pop out as many babies as we can (especially sons), and live as housewives until we die isn’t all that appealing. The modern Nigerian woman can still want that, but that isn’t all she wants–and she is not afraid to do some things differently than her mother may have done them.
It’s pretty clear that Tiwa Savage has been reflecting on some of these social changes, and the ways that Nigerian women have been taking up more space and demanding better from their culture. Celia is an album that African women of a younger generation can see themselves reflected in, and it is one of many. That’s the beauty of having a variety of womxn taking up space in the music industry–there is no one representation of what a womxn can look like or want.
If you’re in the mood for a pop-diva afrobeat moment with some sharp writing and visuals that just keep getting better, then Celia is the album for you. (Side note: Nigerian music videos in general have come a really long way, but Tiwa Savage has really been killing it. Like, who does her art direction…I would like to pay that person to design my life.)
Attention is about asking for what you want, and not being afraid to tell your partner that you will actually pack up and go if they don’t get it together. Temptation featuring Sam Smith (who goes by “they/them” pronouns) is about speaking your desires without shame, something that is not encouraged in our culture, because apparently if a woman talks about liking sex then the whole country will break in half like a kit-kat.
Koroba is high-key a capitalist anthem, but I also stan Beyonce so I’m fully secure in my identity as a hypocrite. After all, as Savage herself states, “who no like enjoyment?”
On the whole, Celia is a thoughtful pop album, with some deliciously raunchy lyrics (you know exactly which ones I’m talking about…) and a lot of fun features, and I have a feeling we’ll be playing it for years to come.
