Tiwa Savage Reveals How Teebillz Rebranded Her as a Sex Symbol Amid Industry Rejection
In a candid conversation on the latest episode of the Afrobeats Intelligence podcast hosted by Joey Akan, award-winning singer Tiwa Savage opened up about her early struggles in the Nigerian music industry and how her ex-husband and former manager, Tunji Balogun, popularly known as Teebillz, completely rebranded her image.
Reflecting on her controversial 2014 hit single Wanted, Tiwa described the bold music video as a rebellious response to critics who had written her off after her marriage.
“The sexiness in my Wanted video felt groundbreaking at the time,” she said. “I had just gotten married, and there was a lot of press saying, ‘She’s not going to be desirable anymore. She’s finished. Her time is gone.’ So, I thought, let me do something crazy. That was me being rebellious.”
Despite being naturally more of a tomboy, Tiwa revealed that Teebillz saw a gap in the market and encouraged her to transform her image to stand out.
“He said, ‘You’ve got to lose weight, go to the gym, wax your eyebrows, wear wigs.’ He literally changed my whole appearance. I wasn’t like that in L.A. when he met me. I used to wear baggy jeans and T-shirts in the studio as a songwriter,” she shared.
According to Tiwa, the intention behind the transformation wasn’t simply to be sexy, but to create a powerful persona—something akin to “an African Rihanna or Beyoncé.” However, the bold image wasn’t immediately embraced in Nigeria, especially by conservative audiences.
“My fashion sense attracted a lot of criticism when we moved back to Nigeria. I ran back to L.A. at some point. I would show up at events, waiting backstage, and they wouldn’t call me to perform. Sometimes they’d say the governor’s wife didn’t approve of my outfit, or I was told not to wear any of my ‘skimpy dresses,’” she said.
She also revealed that her debut video for Love Me was once banned from TV, and the rejection from record labels was disheartening.
“I’ve told the story before—how I went to every major label in Nigeria: Storm Records, Mo’Hits, Banky W’s EME—and they all said no,” she recalled.
But it wasn’t all doom and gloom. Encouragement came from her team, especially Bizzle Osikoya, who reminded her that women were resonating with her style and sound.
Today, Tiwa Savage stands as one of Africa’s most successful and influential female artists—a testament to perseverance, reinvention, and bold authenticity.