{"id":249867,"date":"2025-05-21T03:09:38","date_gmt":"2025-05-21T03:09:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/african-music\/theres-a-vacuum-in-the-female-arm-of-nigerian-pop-music-who-will-step-up\/"},"modified":"2025-05-21T03:09:38","modified_gmt":"2025-05-21T03:09:38","slug":"theres-a-vacuum-in-the-female-arm-of-nigerian-pop-music-who-will-step-up","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=249867","title":{"rendered":"There&#8217;s a vacuum in the female arm of Nigerian pop music: Who will step up?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"\">\n<section>\n<p>When <strong>Tiwa Savage<\/strong> broke into the Nigerian mainstream, she brought along the captivating vocals and sensuality of a talent forged by R&amp;B music of the 90s and early 2000s.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<p>This allure won her the admiration of listeners who appreciated the depth of her artistry and courage to become a sex symbol in a highly conservative society.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<p>However, what won <a target=\"_blank\" class=\"editor-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pulse.ng\/articles\/entertainment\/music\/10-years-of-tiwa-savages-debut-album-once-upon-a-time-2024072613450456165\"><mark style=\"color: rgb(17, 85, 204); background-color: inherit;\" class=\"pen\"><u>Tiwa Savage mainstream success and the respect of the mass market was her ability to deliver songs that move the street<\/u><\/mark><\/a>. <\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<p>This willingness to operate at the lowest level of mass consumption, especially through <a target=\"_blank\" class=\"editor-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pulse.ng\/articles\/entertainment\/music\/10-times-tiwa-savage-delivered-unforgettable-guest-verses-2024072620141184402\"><mark style=\"color: rgb(17, 85, 204); background-color: inherit;\" class=\"pen\"><u>guest appearances that had her running circles around street-dominating male stars<\/u><\/mark><\/a>, not only helped Tiwa Savage connect with the street but also gave the female arm of the industry a much-needed representation. <\/p>\n<\/section>\n<article class=\"in-article-recommendations \">\n<section class=\"SeparatorWithLabel_separatorContainer___ZpTy\">\n<section class=\"SeparatorWithLabel_separatorLine__4X1OG\"\/><span class=\"SeparatorWithLabel_separatorLabel__UAQ5V\">Recommended For You<\/span><\/p>\n<section class=\"SeparatorWithLabel_separatorLine__4X1OG\"\/><\/section>\n<article class=\"news-card\">\n<section class=\"news-card__content\">\n<section class=\"news-card__content__text\">\n<section class=\"news-card__details\">\n<section class=\"news-card__details__tags\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pulse.ng\/pulse-picks\" class=\"Tag_wrapper__TaA7M\" style=\"text-decoration:underline\"><span class=\"Tag_text-wrapper__VKZrn\" data-category=\"pulse picks\">Pulse Picks<\/span><\/a><\/section>\n<section class=\"news-card__details__date\"><span class=\"BodyText_body--small__7vOd3\">2025-05-05T22:51:45+00:00<\/span><\/section>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"news-card__content__text__title-wrapper\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pulse.ng\/articles\/pulse-picks\/minimalist-wedding-dresses-2025050522514566811\"><\/p>\n<p class=\"news-card__content__text__title\">11 Simple Yet Gorgeous Wedding Dresses for Minimalist Brides<\/p>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"BodyText_body--medium__rlyf0 news-card__content__text__description\">See 11 stunning minimalist wedding dresses from luxe silk to budget-friendly rentals, perfect for brides who love simple, elegant designs.<\/span><\/section>\n<figure class=\"news-card__content__image\">\n<div class=\"news-card__content__image-wrapper\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pulse.ng\/articles\/pulse-picks\/minimalist-wedding-dresses-2025050522514566811\"><img alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"0\" height=\"0\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"image\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/image.api.sportal365.com\/process\/\/smp-images-production\/pulse.ng\/06052025\/51429c03-9cd7-4cdd-9d7b-fe3f36ddd7d9.jpg?operations=autocrop(340:210)\"\/><\/a><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/section>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"news-card\">\n<section class=\"news-card__content\">\n<section class=\"news-card__content__text\">\n<section class=\"news-card__details\">\n<section class=\"news-card__details__tags\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pulse.ng\/business\" class=\"Tag_wrapper__TaA7M\" style=\"text-decoration:underline\"><span class=\"Tag_text-wrapper__VKZrn\" data-category=\"business\">Business<\/span><\/a><\/section>\n<section class=\"news-card__details__date\"><span class=\"BodyText_body--small__7vOd3\">2025-04-16T11:11:04+00:00<\/span><\/section>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"news-card__content__text__title-wrapper\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pulse.ng\/articles\/business\/dice-30-wraps-in-lagos-as-africas-tech-leaders-and-global-partners-forge-new-paths-to-market-leadership-2025041611110451194\"><\/p>\n<p class=\"news-card__content__text__title\">DICE 3.0 Wraps in Lagos as Africa\u2019s Tech Leaders and Global Partners Forge New Paths to Market Leadership<\/p>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"BodyText_body--medium__rlyf0 news-card__content__text__description\">#FeaturedPost<\/span><\/section>\n<figure class=\"news-card__content__image\">\n<div class=\"news-card__content__image-wrapper\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pulse.ng\/articles\/business\/dice-30-wraps-in-lagos-as-africas-tech-leaders-and-global-partners-forge-new-paths-to-market-leadership-2025041611110451194\"><img alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"0\" height=\"0\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"image\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/image.api.sportal365.com\/process\/\/smp-images-production\/pulse.ng\/16042025\/6fb1d75e-21bb-48f7-bef8-9fa06ed24ba7.jpeg?operations=autocrop(340:210)\"\/><\/a><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/section>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"news-card\">\n<section class=\"news-card__content\">\n<section class=\"news-card__content__text\">\n<section class=\"news-card__details\">\n<section class=\"news-card__details__tags\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pulse.ng\/music\" class=\"Tag_wrapper__TaA7M\" style=\"text-decoration:underline\"><span class=\"Tag_text-wrapper__VKZrn\" data-category=\"music\">Music<\/span><\/a><\/section>\n<section class=\"news-card__details__date\"><span class=\"BodyText_body--small__7vOd3\">2025-04-17T10:35:41+00:00<\/span><\/section>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"news-card__content__text__title-wrapper\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pulse.ng\/articles\/entertainment\/music\/documentary-on-wizkids-global-success-to-premiere-at-tribeca-film-festival-2025-2025041710354166150\"><\/p>\n<p class=\"news-card__content__text__title\">Documentary on Wizkid&#8217;s global success to premiere at Tribeca Film Festival 2025<\/p>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"BodyText_body--medium__rlyf0 news-card__content__text__description\">A documentary on the success of Wizkid will be shown at the Tribeca Film Festival.<\/span><\/section>\n<figure class=\"news-card__content__image\">\n<div class=\"news-card__content__image-wrapper\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pulse.ng\/articles\/entertainment\/music\/documentary-on-wizkids-global-success-to-premiere-at-tribeca-film-festival-2025-2025041710354166150\"><img alt=\"Wizkid unveils music video for his chart-topping single 'Kese'\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"0\" height=\"0\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"image\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/image.api.sportal365.com\/process\/\/smp-images-production\/pulse.ng\/06032025\/2817a87c-1773-4a63-bd4a-ccc54664bb1c.jpeg?operations=autocrop(340:210)\"\/><\/a><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/section>\n<\/article>\n<\/article>\n<section class=\"RichText_embedded__KDcQP\">\n<section class=\"RichText_youtube-embed-wrapper__SaRco\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Diet - feat Tiwa Savage x Reminisce x Slimcase x DJ Enimoney (Official Video)\" width=\"840\" height=\"473\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/O0J_ea7EiPk?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/section>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<p>In 2018, a year<a target=\"_blank\" class=\"editor-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pulse.ng\/articles\/entertainment\/music\/2018-mtv-emas-tiwa-savage-is-crowned-best-african-act-at-the-2018-mtv-europe-music-2024080122031357874\"><mark style=\"color: rgb(17, 85, 204); background-color: inherit;\" class=\"pen\"><u> she won the MTV EMA for Best African Act<\/u><\/mark><\/a>, <strong>Tiwa Savage<\/strong> jumped on <strong>DJ Enimoney<\/strong>\u2019s street anthem<i> \u2018Diet\u2019 <\/i>featuring iconic rapper <strong>Reminisce <\/strong>and era-defining <a target=\"_blank\" class=\"editor-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pulse.ng\/articles\/entertainment\/music\/shaku-shaku-use-these-10-songs-to-properly-enjoy-the-new-nigerian-dance-craze-2024080105372827108\"><mark style=\"color: rgb(17, 85, 204); background-color: inherit;\" class=\"pen\"><u>hitmaker <strong>Slimcase<\/strong>, whose Shaku Shaku sound was dominating the scene.<\/u><\/mark><\/a><\/p>\n<\/section>\n<figure><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/image.api.sportal365.com\/process\/\/smp-images-production\/pulse.ng\/08052025\/d52a876e-09b4-417e-b6db-c380a5640115.jpg?operations=fit(1042:)\" media=\"(min-width: 768px)\"\/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/image.api.sportal365.com\/process\/\/smp-images-production\/pulse.ng\/08052025\/d52a876e-09b4-417e-b6db-c380a5640115.jpg?operations=fit(800:)\" media=\"(max-width: 767px)\"\/><img alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"0\" height=\"0\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/image.api.sportal365.com\/process\/\/smp-images-production\/pulse.ng\/08052025\/d52a876e-09b4-417e-b6db-c380a5640115.jpg?operations=fit(1042:)\"\/><\/picture><\/figure>\n<section>\n<p>If her stardom, mesmerising R&amp;B abilities, and sensuality are considered, a street pop record like<i> \u2018Diet\u2019 <\/i>that embraces part of what many consider an undesirable reality of life in the city will be maybe unbefitting of her status. <\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<p>This is the elitist mindset that could have spurred her to create a wedge between herself and that side of the industry.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"RichText_embedded__KDcQP\">\n<section class=\"RichText_youtube-embed-wrapper__SaRco\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Tiwa Savage - &quot;49-99&quot; (Official Video)\" width=\"840\" height=\"473\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/IOoNEi8BlgM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/section>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<p>However, Tiwa Savage extended herself, embraced this section of the industry, and delivered an all-time verse.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"RichText_embedded__KDcQP\">\n<section class=\"RichText_youtube-embed-wrapper__SaRco\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Spyro ft Tiwa Savage - Who is your Guy? Remix (Official Video)\" width=\"840\" height=\"473\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/OHnXY9F7m9c?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/section>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<p>She embraced the status of a reliable contributor whose verse can turn a good song into a much better one. It\u2019s the reason<strong> Kizz Daniel<\/strong> called on her when he wanted to remix his breakout single<i> \u2018Woju\u2019<\/i>, and <strong>Spyro <\/strong>would do the same for<i> \u2018Who Is Your Guy\u2019 <\/i>remix 7 years later.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"RichText_embedded__KDcQP\">\n<section class=\"RichText_youtube-embed-wrapper__SaRco\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Kiss Daniel - Woju ft. Davido, Tiwa Savage (Official Remix Video)\" width=\"840\" height=\"473\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/uilD7fBhktw?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/section>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<p>Whether it was next to street-dominating rapper <strong>Olamide<\/strong>, Dancehall maestro <strong>Patoranking<\/strong>, or legendary highlife fussing hitmaker <strong>Duncan Mighty<\/strong>, Tiwa Savage held her own. <\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"RichText_embedded__KDcQP\">\n<section class=\"RichText_youtube-embed-wrapper__SaRco\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Tiwa Savage ft.  Olamide - Standing Ovation ( Official Music Video )\" width=\"840\" height=\"473\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/rPhG29ZRIn0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/section>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<p>Even when she was not at the peak of her powers, she boldly ventured into the sonic territory of a red-hot <strong>Asake <\/strong>on their collaboration<i> \u2018Loaded\u2019.\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"RichText_embedded__KDcQP\">\n<section class=\"RichText_youtube-embed-wrapper__SaRco\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Tiwa Savage, Asake - Loaded (Official Video)\" width=\"840\" height=\"473\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/GgeTnpTkzI0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/section>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<p>Amidst the current wave of Afrobeats&#8217; global patronage, this representation that Tiwa Savage boldly and selflessly offered is now evidently missing.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<p>While male stars are continuously jumping on sounds and sonic trends that capture the pulse of the inner city listeners through new strains of street pop and popular slang, their female counterparts have elected to keep it posh.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h3>A Missing Female Voice at the Level of Mass Consumption<\/h3>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" class=\"editor-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pulse.ng\/articles\/entertainment\/music\/here-are-45-iconic-tiwa-savage-songs-as-she-clocks-45-2025020619432822565\"><mark style=\"color: rgb(17, 85, 204); background-color: inherit;\" class=\"pen\"><u>Tiwa Savage is Afrobeats royalty<\/u><\/mark><\/a>; however, the baton of giving the female arm of the industry a representation at the mass level of local consumption has been handed down to a new generation of stars who, for some reason, just don\u2019t seem quite keen on discharging their duties as selflessly as she did.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<p>In the past three years, there have been several songs that were big moments that needed a female representation as well as strategic collaborations, which none of the new-school female stars appear keen on reaching the other side of the aisle to facilitate.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"RichText_embedded__KDcQP\">\n<section class=\"RichText_youtube-embed-wrapper__SaRco\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Poco Lee, Shoday &amp; Rahman Jago - Hey Jago (Official Video)\" width=\"840\" height=\"630\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/MSstgCusBbY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/section>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<p>Take, for example, <strong>Boypee<\/strong>, <strong>Hyce<\/strong>, and <strong>Brown Joel<\/strong>\u2019s<i> \u2018Ogechi\u2019<\/i> remix featuring <strong>Davido<\/strong>, and more recently, <strong>Shoday<\/strong>, <strong>Poco Lee<\/strong>, and <strong>Raman Jago<\/strong>\u2019s <i>\u2018Hey Jago&#8217;: <\/i>five years ago, these are songs that Tiwa Savage could be reliably predicted to appear on.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"RichText_embedded__KDcQP\">\n<section class=\"RichText_youtube-embed-wrapper__SaRco\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"ODUMODUBLVCK feat. Tiwa Savage - 100 MILLION\" width=\"840\" height=\"473\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Ts8keLThN_s?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/section>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<p>Another basis for this prediction is her recent appearances next to <strong>OdumoduBlvck <\/strong>on <i>\u2018100 Million&#8217;<\/i>, <strong>Fido <\/strong>on<i> \u2018Awolowo\u2019 <\/i>remix, and <strong>Ruger <\/strong>on <i>\u2018Toma Toma\u2019.<\/i> These are collaborations that have failed to appeal to the new generation of female stars.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<p>When we consider why the new set of female stars are shying away from extending themselves as Tiwa Savage did, some possible reasons come to mind.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h3>Afrobeats&#8217; Global Wave and its High Return\u00a0<\/h3>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" class=\"editor-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pulse.ng\/articles\/entertainment\/music\/afrobeats-adds-2dollarb-to-the-global-music-economy-2024102811240954213\"><mark style=\"color: rgb(17, 85, 204); background-color: inherit;\" class=\"pen\"><u>The global success of Afrobeats<\/u><\/mark><\/a> has exposed Nigerian artists to an international audience with the wherewithal to put more money in their pockets both through streams and ticket purchases.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<p>This has seen the local front take a back seat in the creative output and the positioning of stars who now prioritise their global paying audience. So whatever return <strong>Tiwa Savage<\/strong> benefited from playing at the lowest level of mass consumption is expendable.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"RichText_embedded__KDcQP\">\n<section class=\"RichText_youtube-embed-wrapper__SaRco\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Ayra Starr - Sability (Official Music Video)\" width=\"840\" height=\"473\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/KYn3k8dpRJI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/section>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<p>For a superstar like <strong>Ayra Starr<\/strong>, who is the leading female voice in Afrobeats, an attempt to offer the local audience something is through the nostalgic sampling on <i>\u2018Sability\u2019<\/i> or squaring up with street-shaping stars in the form of A-listers <strong>Asake <\/strong>and <strong>Seyi Vibez,<\/strong> with whom she steered away from their era-defining Log drum fused style into more mid-tempo pop territories that embrace her global audience.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"RichText_embedded__KDcQP\">\n<section class=\"RichText_youtube-embed-wrapper__SaRco\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Ayra Starr - Bad Vibes ft. Seyi Vibez (Official Music Video)\" width=\"840\" height=\"630\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/2Ct0Ya7u1WI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/section>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<p>Ayra Starr doesn\u2019t have her version of <i>\u2018Diet\u2019 <\/i>that connects to the lowest rung of mass consumption (trenches), nor has she shown a willingness to offer her services to uplift songs as Tiwa Savage managed on the remixes of <i>\u2018Woju,\u2019 \u2018Who\u2019s Your Guy,\u2019 <\/i>and <i>\u2018No Wahala\u2019.\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<p>This is a similar pattern found in other female stars, including <strong>Fave <\/strong>and <strong>Qing Madi<\/strong>, whose music commands mainstream attention.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"RichText_embedded__KDcQP\">\n<section class=\"RichText_youtube-embed-wrapper__SaRco\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Candy Bleakz - Tikuku (Official Music Video)\" width=\"840\" height=\"473\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/YB-V5xSqIoo?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/section>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<p>While a star like <strong>Teni <\/strong>remains a willing collaborator, <strong>Bloody Civilian <\/strong>has appeared on songs with <strong>OdumoduBlvck <\/strong>and <strong>Seyi Vibez<\/strong>, and <strong>Candy Bleakz <\/strong>continues to hold the fort in street music, the female arm of the industry needs its leading figures to further step up and give it a stronger voice at the lowest level of mass consumption, just as <strong>Tiwa Savage <\/strong>did for a decade.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h3>Willingness to do It\u00a0<\/h3>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<p>Admitting that the return for actively engaging the mass level of local consumption has diminished due to Afrobeats&#8217; global appeal, doing it will require a willingness, irrespective of the returns.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<p>This willingness appears to be missing. At least, there are not sufficient songs that point to a desire by female artists to make this type of music or engage in strategic collaborations to achieve this placement.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h3>Is Ability The Issue?\u00a0<\/h3>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<p>I hardly think so. The new generation of female stars has shown their range and versatility, which suggests they can excel next to <a target=\"_blank\" class=\"editor-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pulse.ng\/articles\/entertainment\/music\/here-are-10-afrobeats-street-songs-listeners-will-never-forget-2024072618515612682\"><mark style=\"color: rgb(17, 85, 204); background-color: inherit;\" class=\"pen\"><u>chest-thumping street acts<\/u><\/mark><\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<p>While an argument can be made that the artistry of <strong>Ayra Starr<\/strong>, <strong>Qing Madi<\/strong>, and <strong>Fave<\/strong> leans more towards R&amp;B, which makes their brand largely irreconcilable with street pop music, Tiwa Savage\u2019s career provides a stronger counterargument.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h3>The Role of Feminism\u00a0<\/h3>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<p>We have to examine to what extent feminism has played a role in creating a gap, whether real or psychological, between female artists and their male counterparts.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<p>Today, the new generation of female stars is more willing to identify as feminists. Social media has also increased the demand on these stars to identify with the feminist ideology, with real-time audience scrutiny and feedback.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<p>This may have contributed to the reluctance of a superstar like Ayra Starr, who is a female flag bearer, to collaborate with some leading male artists whose brands are considered hypermasculine and toxic.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<p>After all, Tiwa Savage was often labelled \u201cOne of the boys\u201d because of her willingness to collaborate with male artists.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h3>Are Nigerian male listeners not helping matters?<\/h3>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<p>There is a growing opposition faced by female stars from a section of male social media users who target and harass them over their feminist stance and confidence.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<p>Ayra Starr, lately, has been at the receiving end of this incessant attack by some misguided male elements who unreasonably attack and oppose her online with false and injurious agendas. <strong>Bloody Civilian<\/strong> and <strong>Fave <\/strong>have also been the subject of this harassment.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<p>With male listeners forming a bulk of the audience at the lowest level of mass consumption, this antagonism might have contributed to pushing away female artists from playing at that level.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<p>While Tiwa Savage faced her fair share of male antagonism, social media has given this troublesome minority a louder voice, and the new generation of female stars appears to be uninterested in dealing with this, especially when they have a large global paying audience.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<h3>Why should we be concerned about this vacuum?\u00a0<\/h3>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<p>Whatever success Afrobeats is currently enjoying and will enjoy in the future, the home front has a central role to play in being both the primary creative source and amplifier.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<p>The growing disconnect between female stars and the mass market is robbing this arm of the industry of a much-needed voice at the lowest level of mass consumption. It&#8217;s restricting them to a path where middle-class consumers and foreign appeal determine their success.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<p>While rising acts like <strong>Ayo Maff<\/strong>, <strong>Shoday<\/strong>, <strong>Fola<\/strong>, and <strong>Fido <\/strong>can use the mass market and local collaborations as a ladder to stardom, female stars would need to climb on the shoulders of a middle-class and diasporan audience, which is a more difficult task.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<p>This disconnection makes it difficult for new female stars to break out and existing ones to connect with the mass market and reach superstar level.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<p>At the end of the day, female stars will need to try to strike a balance. They must appreciate that the mass level of local consumption is important in positioning them for mainstream success and also creating a platform for future female stars to thrive.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section>\n<p>They must understand that strategic positioning and partnership are important locally, just as it is internationally.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When Tiwa Savage broke into the Nigerian mainstream, she brought along the captivating vocals and sensuality of a talent forged by R&amp;B music of the 90s and early 2000s.\u00a0 This allure won her the admiration of listeners who appreciated the depth of her artistry and courage to become a sex symbol in a highly conservative [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":249868,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12025],"tags":[2802,2112,1238,20589,1092,2172,945],"dealstore":[],"offerexpiration":[],"class_list":["post-249867","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-african-music","tag-arm","tag-female","tag-music","tag-nigerian","tag-pop","tag-step","tag-vacuum"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>There&#039;s a vacuum in the female arm of Nigerian pop music: Who will step up? - Som2ny Network<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=249867\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"There&#039;s a vacuum in the female arm of Nigerian pop music: Who will step up? - Som2ny Network\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"When Tiwa Savage broke into the Nigerian mainstream, she brought along the captivating vocals and sensuality of a talent forged by R&amp;B music of the 90s and early 2000s.\u00a0 This allure won her the admiration of listeners who appreciated the depth of her artistry and courage to become a sex symbol in a highly conservative [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=249867\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Som2ny Network\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-05-21T03:09:38+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/c40c6cb9-2111-47ee-aa2b-363a0af1547a.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"790\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"577\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"9 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=249867#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=249867\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"admin\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/#\/schema\/person\/b85e3c3dc0e1daea076524dc8810c371\"},\"headline\":\"There&#8217;s a vacuum in the female arm of Nigerian pop music: Who will step up?\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-05-21T03:09:38+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=249867\"},\"wordCount\":1741,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=249867#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/c40c6cb9-2111-47ee-aa2b-363a0af1547a.png\",\"keywords\":[\"Arm\",\"Female\",\"Music\",\"Nigerian\",\"Pop\",\"Step\",\"Vacuum\"],\"articleSection\":[\"African Music\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=249867#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=249867\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=249867\",\"name\":\"There's a vacuum in the female arm of Nigerian pop music: Who will step up? - Som2ny Network\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=249867#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=249867#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/c40c6cb9-2111-47ee-aa2b-363a0af1547a.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-05-21T03:09:38+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=249867#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=249867\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=249867#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/c40c6cb9-2111-47ee-aa2b-363a0af1547a.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/c40c6cb9-2111-47ee-aa2b-363a0af1547a.png\",\"width\":790,\"height\":577},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=249867#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?bp_activities=1\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"There&#8217;s a vacuum in the female arm of Nigerian pop music: Who will step up?\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/\",\"name\":\"Som2ny Network\",\"description\":\"Daily Deals\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Som2ny Network\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/4a0953c4-logo-300x86-1.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/4a0953c4-logo-300x86-1.png\",\"width\":300,\"height\":86,\"caption\":\"Som2ny Network\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/#\/schema\/person\/b85e3c3dc0e1daea076524dc8810c371\",\"name\":\"admin\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/729ae85bf62b9917e93538db2f2688ca?s=96&r=g&default=https%3A%2F%2Ffivemor.com%2Fwp-content%2Fplugins%2Fbuddypress-first-letter-avatar%2Fimages%2Fdefault%2F96%2Flatin_a.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/729ae85bf62b9917e93538db2f2688ca?s=96&r=g&default=https%3A%2F%2Ffivemor.com%2Fwp-content%2Fplugins%2Fbuddypress-first-letter-avatar%2Fimages%2Fdefault%2F96%2Flatin_a.png\",\"caption\":\"admin\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?author=1\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"There's a vacuum in the female arm of Nigerian pop music: Who will step up? - Som2ny Network","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=249867","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"There's a vacuum in the female arm of Nigerian pop music: Who will step up? - Som2ny Network","og_description":"When Tiwa Savage broke into the Nigerian mainstream, she brought along the captivating vocals and sensuality of a talent forged by R&amp;B music of the 90s and early 2000s.\u00a0 This allure won her the admiration of listeners who appreciated the depth of her artistry and courage to become a sex symbol in a highly conservative [&hellip;]","og_url":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=249867","og_site_name":"Som2ny Network","article_published_time":"2025-05-21T03:09:38+00:00","og_image":[{"width":790,"height":577,"url":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/c40c6cb9-2111-47ee-aa2b-363a0af1547a.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"admin","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"admin","Est. reading time":"9 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=249867#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=249867"},"author":{"name":"admin","@id":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/#\/schema\/person\/b85e3c3dc0e1daea076524dc8810c371"},"headline":"There&#8217;s a vacuum in the female arm of Nigerian pop music: Who will step up?","datePublished":"2025-05-21T03:09:38+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=249867"},"wordCount":1741,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=249867#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/c40c6cb9-2111-47ee-aa2b-363a0af1547a.png","keywords":["Arm","Female","Music","Nigerian","Pop","Step","Vacuum"],"articleSection":["African Music"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=249867#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=249867","url":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=249867","name":"There's a vacuum in the female arm of Nigerian pop music: Who will step up? - Som2ny Network","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=249867#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=249867#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/c40c6cb9-2111-47ee-aa2b-363a0af1547a.png","datePublished":"2025-05-21T03:09:38+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=249867#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=249867"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=249867#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/c40c6cb9-2111-47ee-aa2b-363a0af1547a.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/c40c6cb9-2111-47ee-aa2b-363a0af1547a.png","width":790,"height":577},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=249867#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?bp_activities=1"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"There&#8217;s a vacuum in the female arm of Nigerian pop music: Who will step up?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/","name":"Som2ny Network","description":"Daily Deals","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/#organization","name":"Som2ny Network","url":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/4a0953c4-logo-300x86-1.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/4a0953c4-logo-300x86-1.png","width":300,"height":86,"caption":"Som2ny Network"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/#\/schema\/person\/b85e3c3dc0e1daea076524dc8810c371","name":"admin","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/729ae85bf62b9917e93538db2f2688ca?s=96&r=g&default=https%3A%2F%2Ffivemor.com%2Fwp-content%2Fplugins%2Fbuddypress-first-letter-avatar%2Fimages%2Fdefault%2F96%2Flatin_a.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/729ae85bf62b9917e93538db2f2688ca?s=96&r=g&default=https%3A%2F%2Ffivemor.com%2Fwp-content%2Fplugins%2Fbuddypress-first-letter-avatar%2Fimages%2Fdefault%2F96%2Flatin_a.png","caption":"admin"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/fivemor.com"],"url":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?author=1"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/249867","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=249867"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/249867\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/249868"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=249867"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=249867"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=249867"},{"taxonomy":"dealstore","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fdealstore&post=249867"},{"taxonomy":"offerexpiration","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fofferexpiration&post=249867"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}