​Tems and Ayra Starr: Taking the lead from Tiwa Savage

Tems (Nigerian singer-songwriter and record producer)

 For a long time, Tiwa Savage was the only woman at the top of the Nigerian music scene, standing alongside the biggest male stars. Since her first hit, "Kele Kele Love," in 2010 and her debut album in 2013, she has been the leading lady of the genre, eventually earning the title "Queen of Afrobeats."

Even 15 years into her legendary career, Tiwa showed in 2025 that she is still a major force. Her latest album, Water & Garri, which was released alongside her own film, became a massive hit on streaming platforms.

However, Tiwa is no longer the only woman ruling the charts. Two younger stars, Tems and Ayra Starr, have arrived and are now making even bigger waves on the global stage.

This year, Tiwa Savage reached a huge milestone: 800 million streams on Spotify. While this is a brilliant achievement, it makes her the 24th Nigerian artist to reach this number—and only the third woman. Surprisingly, she sits behind Tems (who started in 2018) and Ayra Starr (who started in 2021), despite Tiwa having a much longer career.