Entertainment

Pop Star Tiwa Savage Opens Up On Tough Childhood and Attempting Suicide Twice

Who would have thought that the award winning pop star Tiwa Savage attempted suicide twice as a young girl? In an interview with Ebuka Obi-Uchendu for Black Box, she recounted her experiences as an immigrant 10 year old leaving in a new country and the battles she had to fight to fit in.

According to Tiwa, Her family had moved to the United Kingdom while she was barely 10 years old. While in high school she had to fight off bullying and had a terrible experience trying to get used to her new environs.

“When I got to school, it was horrible and I had an accent. My first day I clearly cannot forget. I got to school late and my teacher couldn’t pronounce my name. She then asked why I was late to school and I said ‘sorry ma there was go slow.’ Everyone started laughing. I was teased so badly”

“They use to call me ‘African girl’ ‘Fufu’, ‘We heard your food smells badly’ it was so bad that I literally tried to kill myself two times. I was depressed and bullied. They would flush my hair down during lunch break. At some point, I use to have a police escort me to the bus. I wanted to bleach and started growing my hair. It was really terrible.”

Raised by the typical tough and strict African parents, Tiwa talks about her relationship with her mother whom she considered very strict at the time.

Also Read: Toke Makinwa Recounts Her Covid 19 Woes

“I found it out initially, I didn’t like her because she was tough on me. Not that I didn’t like her but it was weird. I was really close to her, I could tell her everything. I could tell her things you shouldn’t even tell a Nigerian mom,”

“I would want to go out for parties all night and she would be like ‘be back by 9 and I’m like the people won’t even be there yet. I’ll be so angry. I want to bleach because I hated my dark skin, she caught me and threw everything and I was like what is your business. I think it was between 14, 15, and 16…I was really insecure.”

Tiwa graduated from the University of Kent with a degree in Accounting and worked briefly with The Royal Bank of Scotland before focusing her attention solely on music. She was a backup singer for the likes Mary J. Blige, Chaka Khan, Blu Cantrell, Emma Bunton, Kelly Clarkson, Andrea Bocelli before returning to Nigeria to pursue a solo career.

Entertainment

Davido Comes Under Fire For Comments On Ishowspeed’s ‘Multiple Women’ Massage in Ghana

Afrobeats star Davido became the subject of online discussion after sharing a playful Instagram story that many Nigerians interpreted as controversial. On 26 January 2026, the Grammy-nominated singer reposted a viral video of American streamer IShowSpeed receiving a massage from multiple women in Ghana, during his African tour.

In the repost on his Instagram Stories, Davido tagged his wife, Chioma Rowland Adeleke, with a light-hearted caption that appeared to seek her permission for a similar “Ghana shea butter massage.”

The caption read: ‘@thechefchi oh boy my darling wife pls permit me 😅😅this nah Ghana???’

The post was framed as humour, but screenshots of the story quickly circulated on X (formerly Twitter), where it gained significant attention beyond his Instagram audience.

While some viewers interpreted the message as harmless banter between a married couple, others viewed it as inappropriate, particularly given Davido’s public profile and marital status.

The post generated a range of reactions from Nigerian social media users. Some expressed discomfort with the public nature of the message, questioning its appropriateness given Davido’s marital status. Others used humour or satire to comment on the situation, while several users framed their reactions.

While some comments implied that the post reinforced long-standing perceptions about his personal life, other users defended the artist, describing the post as an unserious “cruise” or typical celebrity humour taken out of context.

It is worth noting the budding relationship between Davido and IShowSpeed (real name Darren Watkins Jr.). The two have connected through the streamer’s recent African tour, which included stops in Nigeria and Ghana.

On 21 January 2026, IShowSpeed’s 21st birthday, Davido surprised him with a FaceTime call during a live stream in Lagos, Nigeria. The Afrobeats hitmaker, who was in Paris at the time, wished Speed a happy birthday, congratulated him on reaching 50 million YouTube subscribers, and promised a future collaboration in the US

Celebs

Ayra Starr’s Much Anticipated Album To Drop in 2026

Ayra Starr has sparked a whirlwind of anticipation across the global music landscape. Following her meteoric rise, the Mavin Records superstar and Roc Nation signee has stirred excitement among fans by hinting at her forthcoming project.

Featured in Spotify’s “Our Frequency” zine issue 033, the ‘Celestial Being’ shared insights into her personal and professional aspirations, including a tease that her next album could land in 2026. This disclosure emerged within Spotify’s platform dedicated to celebrating Black artists and their creative narratives, with the recent edition spotlighting Starr’s journey of growth and artistic evolution.

Spotify’s “Our Frequency” initiative offers artists a space to reveal intimate details about their lives and craft. In the Spotify feature, Ayra Starr reflected on her formative years and how diverse environments shaped her distinctive sound and personality.

The 23-year-old drew interesting parallels between cultures, noting that, “Growing up in Benin and Nigeria, it was two different vibes.” She likened the energy of Nigeria’s commercial hub to a global city: “Lagos is almost like New York.”

In stark contrast, the 2026 Grammy nominee described her experience in the Benin Republic: “Benin Republic has more like a beach vibe. Everywhere is, like, calm. Everybody is quiet, so I can’t put it into, like, a few words. It’s made me who I am.”

It was within this context of personal evolution that Ayra Starr dropped the major album news, offering insight into her 2026 goals: “In 2026, I’m looking forward to learning how to cook more known Nigerian food, and my album, Amen.”

This deliberate pacing suggests a strategic shift towards quality control following her management deal with Roc Nation in July 2025, which handles her global brand strategy and touring

Entertainment

I am Bigger Than Fela, WizKid Fires Back At Seun Kuti

Afrobeats icon Wizkid has ignited fresh controversy by directly addressing Seun Kuti, the youngest son of the iconic Afrobeat legend Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, in a series of pointed Instagram stories on 20 January 2026.

The exchange stems from ongoing tensions between Seun and Wizkid’s devoted fanbase, known as Wizkid FC, who have been accused by Seun of disrespecting Fela’s legacy through comparisons favouring Wizkid

The spat, which has dominated X (formerly Twitter) timelines, highlights the contrast between Fela’s politically charged Afrobeat and Wizkid’s global Afrobeats success.

Wizkid, who had previously stayed silent, appeared to be provoked by Seun’s claims that he does not value his fans. This led to a barrage of stories where Wizkid not only claimed superiority but also reposted a fan’s video harshly criticising Seun and the Kuti family.

In one widely shared post, the 35-year-old hitmaker wrote in a now-deleted post: “@bigbirdkuti I’m Big Wiz everyday bigger than u do papa!! Wetin u one do f**l?”

Another story escalated the insult: “P*y boy @bigbirdkuti ok I big pass your papa!! Wetin u one do ? Fl at 40!

A third simply stated: “@bigbirdkuti Hungry boy! U too small! Na ur papa we dey talk to.”

Additionally, Wizkid reposted a fan’s video with the caption: “Seun kuti omo baba oni pata gig an 😂😂.”

These posts came after a series of scathing posts on X from Wizkid aimed at Seun Kuti. One post read: “Fela fight for freedom this fool Dey fight fc! Oloshi Omo ale!”

In turn, Seun wasted no time in replying to Wizkid on Instagram, telling the Grammy winner: “Just be yourself, short Man. you are also great,” before labelling Wizkid a b****h for deleting his earlier posts on his Instagram Stories.

The online reaction has been intense, with users divided over the back and forth.