Almost a decade since she forayed onto the scene, capturing our attention with her alluring drawl and knack for soul-searing lyrics, Tiwa Savage finally finds her way home having spent years pandering to mainstream dictates and making a name for herself in spaces that matter, and otherwise on Water & Garri. The singer’s five-track latest is true to form a captivating body of work that celebrates her roots in RnB music, the cultures that influenced the Popstar she is today, and lessons learned in an industry where people like her are not allowed permanence.
Evolution at her level is not often talked about because status does come with experience, but on Water & Garri, Tiwa Savage blossoms in a subtle way that appraises her past, present, and future altogether and this stems from the fact that she goes back to basics with titles like Ade Ori and Tales By Moonlight, reminiscent of those on twenty-one track debut, Red, features that highlight the quality of her affiliations and a raw but perfectly smoothed out sound that speaks to both her affinity for refined sounds and ears spent honing her craft.
Water & Garri is a cohesive project with each track flowing seamlessly into one another. From Nas and Rich King assisted opener, Work Fada, in which Savage basks in her identity, steeped in a culture that prefers dense drums as a means of sonic communication, to the braggadocio that presses on the atmospheric synths giving life to Ade Ori, the utter sexiness of Amaarae-assisted Tales By Moonlight, hers and Brandy’s shared spirit on Somebody’s Son and the sultriness of Special Kinda with Tay Iwar, Water & Garri at its core is perfectly fused soul music that gives credence to an unexpected title that comes together at the last lick of synths.
Tiwa Savage is indeed home and home is a sound conjuncture that has real meaning and sears souls.