Celia (album)

On 2 May 2019, it was announced that Savage signed an exclusive recording contract with Universal Records. On 19 July 2019, she performed "Keys to the Kingdom" on Beyoncé's The Lion King: The Gift album, later appearing in its visual counterpart Black Is King (2020).[4] In September 2019, she released her first global single, "49-99", through Motown Records.[5]

Celia was written at three songwriting camps in Lagos, London and Los Angeles, California.[6] Savage booked eight rooms for 15 days at the Oriental Hotel in Lagos, where producers and musicians could come and go, bouncing ideas off one another as Savage supervised, selected tracks and came up with top lines. "Just put your heart into it, and let's have fun," she reportedly told them.[7]

With news of the album came a "conscious branding" that positioned Savage as an activist and socio-political commentator. Pulse Nigeria said the album "represents a veritable rebrand from an artist who is entering her veteran days."[6]

Celia was dedicated to Savage's mother, whom the album was named after in tribute. Savage elaborated that her mother "embodies everything that this album is. It speaks to a strong, modern African woman. This album is Afrobeats from a very female perspective. It's an extension of the African woman: she still values her culture and her upbringing, but she's also well-traveled, so it's blending those two worlds."[8]

In an interview with The New York Times, Savage commented on the album's other inspirations:[1]

"I've experienced a divorce, being a single mom and seeing backlash for being sometimes too sexy in a male-dominated industry. [...] I wanted my message to be clear. I have a platform now to encourage young African girls—and just young girls in general—how important it is to be true to yourself and be unapologetically strong as a woman. Initially when you hear it, it's just like, 'Oh, I want to be in the club, shaking my butt.' So I'll get you that way first. And then you go back and listen to the lyrics and then you get inspired by it."

YNaija wrote: "Celia puts Tiwa in a new political world, one that honours [her] predecessors – and its pool of bubblegum tracks but pushes for a closer examination of womanhood. She [said] the album was inspired and named after Celia Savage, her strong, supportive mother who's given a cameo in a promo clip alongside Kelly Rowland and Genevieve Nnaji saying 'I am Celia.'"[9]

In July 2020, Savage commented, "I decided to really just go back to what I loved and what I fell in love with as a musician, which is afrobeat combined with soul and R&B. [...] So it's very, very heavily influenced by that. And while I was creating the album, I actually didn't listen to any other songs during the process of creating it because I didn’t want to be influenced by the trend of what was happening. You can expect real, hardcore R&B fused with afrobeats with this album."[4]

NativeMag said, "[Savage] is defiant of her conservative Nigerian audience and seeks to rework imaginations of what a female artist should look like, leading the industry whilst owning her sex appeal in a way that is rare to these parts. On Celia, Tiwa Savage comes out with an onslaught of carnal numbers, reminding us why she labels herself a bad gyal."[10] The360Mag remarked that Celia "further solidifies Tiwa's position as one of the leading artists in the forefront pushing Afrobeats to a global audience," and later added, "Celia demonstrates the incredible musical growth she’s experienced over the years."[11]

In September 2020, Essence wrote, "Celia shows us how Savage stays in the pocket of what makes listening to R&B so warm, with the complex melodies and messages that align with afrobeat music. The album is a sonic journey—taking us through falling in love, heartbreak, navigating double standards and gender dynamics in relationships, boosting one's confidence, and even showing gratitude for the road taken thus far in her career."[4] That same month, The New York Times wrote, "Celia is an album of sleekly insinuating Afrobeats grooves that carry love songs and understated but purposeful messages of empowerment. The lyrics switch between English and Yoruba as Savage glides through her melodies, rarely raising her airy, unflappable voice."[1]

In May 2020, Savage appeared on the cover of Billboard's first issue devoted entirely to Africa alongside Afrobeats artists Davido and Mr Eazi.[5] Later, Savage became the first African music artist to have two billboards in Times Square, New York on the album's release day. Celia received 120 US programmed playlists across all the DSPs and secured cover placements from Apple Music, YouTube Music, Pandora, Spotify, Amazon Music, Tidal, Deezer, Boomplay, Audiomack and UduX. Boomplay made Tiwa the face of 'Top New Music' – the biggest playlist on its platform.[13]

Sample credits

• Moelogo vocal was sampled on "Celia's Song".[26]

Vocalists

Co-writers

Production

Note

• The album was mixed by Manny Marroquin, Tee-Y Mix, and mastered by Chris Athens.