Tiwa Savage is at the receiving end of heavy criticism from South Africans who believe she erred by apologising on Tyla’s behalf after her “Coloured” vs “Black” remark provoked the African American community.
While the apology was the major highlight of Tiwa Savage’s interview at The Breakfast Club, she was also guilty of saying too much about her infamous sex tape and her romantic life during a previous interview, as opposed to her recently released album ‘This One Is Personal’, which should have been the main subject of discourse.
Her now infamous interview has left many wondering if the 45-year-old superstar has forgotten her media training, especially the power of “No Comment”. A Simple “No Comment” Would Have Spared Tiwa Savage These Troubles.
“I was bashed for it… people with platforms were horrible. They blamed me.”
Tiwa Savage opens up about the backlash after her leaked video. pic.twitter.com/IFc2aKPB0q
— @𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗷𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗯𝗼𝘆 (@OneJoblessBoy) September 22, 2025
ALSO READ: Tiwa Savage Said ‘Sorry’ for Tyla… and South Africans Are Not Having It
There’s a reason publicists train celebrities in the art of saying “no comment.” Silence can be powerful, especially when the subject is complex, multifaceted, or when it’s not in your place to weigh in on it. Unfortunately, Tiwa Savage appeared to have forgotten this when she made a stop at The Breakfast Club.
In her recent interview, the Afrobeats star was asked about Tyla’s ongoing controversy over identifying as “Coloured.” Savage, with the best of intentions, stepped in to offer context. She acknowledged that while “Coloured” holds painful racial discrimination and prejudice in American history, it functions differently in South Africa as an identity marker.
But context wasn’t the only thing Tiwa Savage supplied. She also went the extra mile to aplogise on Tyla’s behalf under the guise of playing the “big African sister,” to an audience who erroneously believe she can speak on the issue because she’s African and Africa is after all, one big country.
And this is the type of bootlicking African they wanted Tyla to be. Tiwa Savage had no business apologizing on behalf of Tyla to who and I don't know for what. Because Tyla said absolutely nothing wrong. You can always count on a Nigerian to embarrass the African continent🧵 pic.twitter.com/Mm65B5kzNM
— Lord Elrich R. Woolfe🐺 (@ruxadewoolfe) September 25, 2025
I felt for her, and I know that she’s young, and I don’t think she means to come off like that. But where I’m from, they say the younger would say, ‘on behalf of so and so, we apologise.’ If that wasn’t communicated, on her behalf, I apologise, forgive us..I don’t think it came from a bad place.
Like she explained, in Nigeria, it’s common for elders to smooth over conflicts by apologising for the younger ones. Tiwa Savage’s act in the Yoruba context is a true display of the maturity that earns elders respect and honour.
However, the Tyla issue was that of a cultural difference between a South African woman and the African American community, who misunderstood her. It was not in Tiwa Savage’s place to tender an apology on her behalf.
Moreover, Tyla is not Nigerian. She was born into a family with Indian, Indo-Mauritian, Zulu, and Irish ancestry, making her biracial. In other words, she is a “Coloured” woman as far as South African culture goes. If she insists on not apologising for being misunderstood, why should anyone, let alone one of the continent’s biggest music stars, tender one on her behalf?
This wasn’t a family squabble at a wedding reception; this was a cultural and historical subject where the sensibilities of each party must be respected, and it was not in Tiwa Savage’s place, no matter how good-intentioned, to legislate on the subject.
The Nigerian stardidn’t necessarily say anything wrong, but by stepping into the role of “big sister” on an issue that wasn’t hers, she unintentionally inserted herself into a battle she had no business fighting. Now, she’s suffering the consequences.
Even if many believe that The Breakfast Club erred by asking her to weigh in on the Tyla controversy, her response ultimately determined the outcome rather than the question. She should have dismissed the question with a “No Comment” or insisted that she wasn’t in a position to speak on it, especially if she had no intentions of backing her African little sister.
Tiwa Savage’s situation is even more embarrassing, especially since Tyla has ignored her “big sister” efforts and doubled down on her stance. At the recent Global Citizens Festival, the South African star displayed defiance by saying “I am not sorry” mid-performance.
“I’M NOT SORRY” period Tyla!!!!!! She never sent anyone to apologize on her behalf #GlobalCitizenFestival #TYLAxGlobalCitizen pic.twitter.com/KqVVMupfl1
— WE JUST ARRIVED (@TheeAzanian) September 27, 2025
Perhaps, it’s this act of only speaking when necessary, standing on business, and actively ignoring needless controversies that Tiwa Savage needs to embrace.
