Nigerian music icon Tiwa Savage has opened up about the deeply personal inspiration behind one of her tattoos, revealing that it was born from the pain of heartbreak. To keep her vulnerability private, she flew in her tattoo artist all the way from Los Angeles to Lagos to get the tattoo done in the comfort of her home.
Speaking in a recent interview with media personality Katy Igwe, Savage shared, “I flew in my tattoo artist from LA to Nigeria. And I did it [the tattoo] in my room. So I was in an environment where I was comfortable.” She explained her decision to avoid a public tattoo parlour setting was due to the emotional intensity of the experience. “When you are in a tattoo parlour sometimes, a lot of people are working and then you are going through that pain. I wanted to make sure that I was in a comfortable place.”
The session proved more intense than anticipated. “My tattoo artist walked in and was like, ‘What are you doing?… Is that going to come off?’” she recalled. “He started tattooing my body, and there was blood everywhere. So he was more concerned for me like, ‘What are you trying to do?’”
Savage candidly admitted that the tattoo symbolised her need to express a scream born from a tumultuous period in her life. “I did that [the tattoo] from the pain I felt from a heartbreak. I just wanted to do something to scream,” she said.
Reflecting on the last two years, she described it as “a very hard time” marked by a “crazy” relationship ordeal. “I’m so happy I’m out of that relationship,” Tiwa said with a sense of relief.
