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This one IS personal.
Global Afrobeats icon Tiwa Savage today unveils her long-awaited fifth studio album, This One Is Personal. The 15-track body of work—written and recorded over the past two years between Nashville, London, and San Francisco—captures Savage at her most intimate, tracing themes of love, heartbreak, resilience, and self-discovery with unflinching honesty.
“I’ve done what people, labels, and others have wanted for so long. This album is for me,” Tiwa shares. True to its title, This One Is Personal presents her rawest storytelling yet, channelling the candor of Mary J. Blige while reimagining Afrobeats and Nigerian pop through a lens of vulnerability and emotional depth.
Over the summer, anticipation for the project soared with singles On The Low ft. Skepta and You4Me. Both have drawn major radio support, including playlisting on BBC Radio 1Xtra and Capital Xtra, alongside praise from tastemakers at BBC Radio 1, Kiss Xtra, and Apple Music 1. Tiwa also appeared recently on Sunday Brunch to preview the album’s new sound. To mark the release, she will host a free concert and party at London’s KOKO, which sold out within minutes.
The album opens with I’m Done, a stripped piano ballad that sets the emotional tone: “I’ve got to learn how to love me first, you don’t know the value of my love.” Recording the track in San Francisco was so raw and emotional that Savage paused the session to cry before returning to the mic. From there, she shifts into the sultry R&B-reggae fusion of Angel Dust and the bold, reflective For One Night. Her London roots shine on On The Low ft. Skepta and You4Me—a reimagining of Tamia’s So Into You—while her lifelong admiration for Brandy emerges on tracks like Holding It Down.
Other standouts include 10%, born out of a late-night walkout that left an indelible mark on Tiwa’s writing, and Addicted, a playful duet with Taves. The project closes with Change, created alongside long-time collaborator James Fauntleroy, bringing Tiwa’s journey full circle with the songwriter who was there at the start of her career.
At this stage, Tiwa Savage is more than a decorated artist—she is a fully realized storyteller. Her accolades (including EMA, MOBO, and Headie wins) and her pioneering status within Afrobeats are undeniable, yet This One Is Personal reveals something deeper: an artist who has overcome, endured, and arrived at her most authentic self.
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