Why Labels Don’t Like Signing Female Artists – Tiwa Savage

Why Labels Don’t Like Signing Female Artists – Tiwa Savage

Nigerian singer Tiwa Savage addresses a long-standing issue in the music industry: major labels tend to sign significantly more male artists than female artists. She shares her insights and experiences on why this disparity exists and how it affects female artists.

Speaking about why major labels are hesitant to sign female artists, Tiwa Savage explained:

TIWA SAVAGE: “Things are improving, but it’s still challenging because female artists require more maintenance. For example, a female artist needs to have her hair, makeup, and styling done. There’s also the possibility of pregnancy. These are some of the challenges, especially in a country like Nigeria where we are still developing our arts infrastructure. Consequently, labels often shy away from signing female artists. However, major labels worldwide are increasingly signing Afrobeats artists, so the situation is definitely getting better.

I have countless stories about female artists being overlooked. They face restrictions like not being allowed to do soundchecks. When I first returned to Nigeria, I was sometimes prevented from performing because my outfit was considered too risqué. Some of my early music videos were banned from national TV, even though I was only wearing a catsuit, not something like a bikini. But I’m very stubborn, so I responded by wearing shorter dresses and more revealing tops. The more they criticized me, the more determined I became. Interestingly, women secretly supported me, and my fanbase grew. Eventually, they couldn’t ignore my popularity, so they had to include me in shows and play my music because there was a demand for it.

When we women do something, we do it way better.”