by Adedayo Ademuwagun

Married people all over the world are expected to behave with some degree of propriety, unless perhaps they’re Kim Kardashian — or Tiwa Savage.

People have been talking about Tiwa Savage’s style before and after she got married. The latest one happened last week after the singer twerked (again), rubbing herself on artiste, Patoranking at the Headies night. It wasn’t the first time she’d be twerking on the young man – she did at the Channel O Awards in November when they both performed their collaborative effort, Girly O together. Then two months before, she performed at a gig in London wearing a bodysuit that many thought was plainly preposterous.

One entertainment blogger wrote after pictures from the London gig spread on blogs, “The diva is no doubt channelling her inner sexiness, but the pretty Mavin first lady has been serving constant sultriness almost to a point of obscenity these days! The rather obscene look [at the London gig] appeared tacky and did absolutely nothing for Tiwa’s shape.”

There’s no crime if an artiste is making news for twerking and “channelling her inner sexiness”, as that blogger put it. After all, Miley Cyrus and some others do that. But the thing is, Tiwa Savage is a dozen years older than Miley, and unlike Miley, she’s married.

Tiwa Savage didn’t start like this though. She already had an impressive beginning when she set up her music career in Lagos four years ago. She had done pretty well at X Factor UK, co-written internationally acclaimed songs, backed up for Mary J. Blige and George Michael and graduated from Berklee, a music school whose alumni have won a combined 229 Grammy awards. So she wasn’t just a pretty face with a sexy body. She was a talented singer with a lot of potential, and fans wanted to listen to her music, not look at her butt.

Today she’s grown famous and done really well for herself, but she’s also transformed herself from a promising singer to a sex symbol, building her brand on her erotic appeal rather than her singing ability.

The result is quite obvious. She’s produced only one album in four years. She hasn’t produced a single major hit without Don Jazzy ever. She may be getting awards, but considering the inspiring impression she made when she first surfaced, it looks like Tiwa Savage is not living up to her potential.

Patricia says, “Tiwa doesn’t have to bare her body to get to the top. She can sing, and she’s very likable. I feel she really needs to take another look at her brand and think about if all these years of scanty dressing and erotic gestures have actually paid off for her big time. Let’s face it. She’s not making any great music these days.”

Tiwa Savage is now 34 years old and she’s getting past her prime. Plus she seems to be in the middle of a torrid marriage.

Two months ago, news broke that she and her husband were fighting about cheating and physical abuse. It looked like the marriage was in trouble. A lot of people are appalled by the Tiwa Savage’s  style since she married, and some people feel it’s not helping her marriage.

Ovie says, “Tiwa Savage was like this before she married Teebillz, but the surprising thing is that she’s been even more immodest as a married woman. I don’t see how this is not affecting her marriage. I mean I imagine that I’m Teebillz and I’m sitting in a hall watching my wife, not my girlfriend, my wife, dancing carelessly with another man in front of the public. Any sane husband who really cares about their marriage and his wife’s dignity will certainly object to that. I don’t know why Tiwa is doing all this or why her husband isn’t saying a word about it. Does her husband truly love her? I don’t know, but I guess we all know what it means to love someone.”

Kolapo Olapoju