''R.E.D'' is the second

studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...

by Nigerian singer

Tiwa Savage Tiwa Savage (born 5 February 1980) is a Nigerian singer-songwriter and performing artist. Born in Isale Eko, she relocated to London at the age of 11 for her secondary education. Five years later, she began her music career doing backup voc ...

. It was released on December 19, 2015, by

Mavin Records Mavin Records (also known as the Supreme Mavin Dynasty) is a Nigerian Music industry, music corporation record label founded by record producer and recording artist Don Jazzy on 8 May 2012. The label's inception came to fruition following the clo ...

and 323 Entertainment. The album features guest appearances from

Don Jazzy Michael Collins Ajereh (born 26 November 1982), known professionally as Don Jazzy, is a Nigerian record producer. He is the founder and the CEO of Mavin Records. Don Jazzy was co-owner of the now-defunct Mo' Hits Records record label with D'b ...

Olamide Olamide Gbenga Adedeji (born 15 March 1989) is a Nigerian rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. Widely regarded as one of the biggest and most influential artists in Africa, he has been instrumental to the launching of the careers ...

Dr SID Sidney Onoriode Esiri (born 1 May 1980), commonly known as Dr SID, is a Nigerian singer. Early life Dr SID is from Delta State, he was born and raised in Lagos. His mother is a fashion designer and his father, Justus Esiri, is an actor.

, Iceberg Slim,

2face Idibia Innocent Ujah Idibia MON (born 18 September 1975), known by his stage name 2Baba, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter, record producer, entrepreneur and philanthropist. Noted for his vocal range, lyrical depth, and longevity, he is widely regard ...

D'Prince Charles Enebeli (born 23 October 1986), better known by his stage name D'Prince, is a Nigerian Afropop singer. He is the founder and the CEO of Jonzing World, an entertainment company he founded in 2019. Early life Charles Enebeli was born i ...

Busy Signal Reanno Devon Gordon (born 24 January 1979), better known by his stage name Busy Signal, is a Jamaican dancehall reggae artist. Biography Reanno Devon Gordon p/k/a Busy Signal was born in Saint Ann Parish,Johnson, Carolyn (2006)A Very Busy Chil ...

and

Reekado Banks Ayoleyi Hanniel Solomon (born 6 December 1993), better known by his stage name Reekado Banks, is a Nigerian singer and songwriter. He signed with Mavin Records in 2014 and left the label in 2018. He went by the stage name Spicy before his recor ...

. It was primarily produced by Don Jazzy, along with additional production from Baby Fresh, Altims,

Spellz ''Spellz'' was a 2006–2008 magic series featuring famed magician Jay Sankey. Produced by GAPC Entertainment in partnership with TVO Kids, with the participation of Knowledge Network from 2006 to 2009, SCN and the Canadian Television Fund, Spellz ...

and

P2J Richard Olowaranti Mbu Isong (born 11 July 1987), professionally known as P2J is a Nigerian-British producer from London, England. He is best known for his work with the likes of Beyoncé, Wizkid, Stormzy, FKA Twigs, Burna Boy, Tems, Doja Cat & ...

. The album was supported by the singles "My Darlin" and "Standing Ovation". Its deluxe edition was released in February 2016, and features collaborations with

Wizkid Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun (born 16 July 1990), known professionally as Wizkid, is a Nigerian singer and songwriter. A prominent figure in the modern-day Afrobeats music scene, Wizkid is regarded as one of the biggest and most influential Afri ...

and

P-Square P-Square is a Nigerian music duo consisting of the twin brothers Peter Okoye and Paul Okoye. They produced and released their albums through Square Records (now Square Root Entertainment) In December 2011, they signed a record deal with Akon's ...

. ''R.E.D'' was nominated for Best Album at the

2016 Nigeria Entertainment Awards The 2016 Nigeria Entertainment Awards is the 11th edition of the Nigeria Entertainment Awards. Hosted by Richard Mofe Damijo and Ebbe Bassey, the event was held on September 4 at the BMCC Tribeca Performing Arts Center in New York City, U.S ...

Background and promotion

''R.E.D'' is an

acronym An acronym is a word or name formed from the initial components of a longer name or phrase. Acronyms are usually formed from the initial letters of words, as in ''NATO'' (''North Atlantic Treaty Organization''), but sometimes use syllables, as ...

for Romance, Expression and Dance. It revolves around themes of sex, love and religious tropes. Savage recorded the album while pregnant with her son. The album was made available for free

digital streaming Streaming media is multimedia that is delivered and consumed in a continuous manner from a source, with little or no intermediate storage in network elements. ''Streaming'' refers to the delivery method of content, rather than the content it ...

on MTN Music, and was reportedly intended for release on December 21, 2015. Within 24 hours of its release, it became the most-streamed album of all time on the music platform. Mavin Records promoted the album by launching a meme generator through the website i-am-red.com. The website's interface allowed users to create a

meme A meme ( ) is an idea, behavior, or style that spreads by means of imitation from person to person within a culture and often carries symbolic meaning representing a particular phenomenon or theme. A meme acts as a unit for carrying cultural i ...

by uploading their pictures and entering values for the R.E.D acronym. Users had the option to enter text in the fields or choose from pre-defined suggestions. Users were encouraged to share their images on social media sites with the #IamRED hashtag. While promoting the album in London, Savage stopped by BBC Africa's London Studio and spoke to Bola Mosuro about the project. She held an album listening party at Industry Nite and performed all the songs on the album. She also unveiled the album's cover art and narrated stories about each song on it. Guest in attendance included Fade Ogunro, Don Jazzy, Dr SID, D'Prince,

Di'Ja Hadiza Blell, now Hadiza Blell-Olo, better known by her stage name Di'Ja, is a Nigerian singer. She is currently signed to Mavin Records. In 2009, she released her first single "Rock Steady", which was nominated for Best Urban/R&B Single at th ...

Korede Bello Oluwakorede Bello (born 29 February 1996) is a Nigerian singer and songwriter. He signed a record deal with Mavin Records in 2014. Bello is best known for his hit single " Godwin", a semi-gospel and pop song which became a national anthem and t ...

Waje Aituaje Iruobe, known professionally as Waje, which is the first letter from each word from the phrase "Words Aren't Just enough" is a Nigerian singer. She first gained recognition after being featured on the remake of P-Square’s "Omoge Mi". Wa ...

9ice 9ice, born Alexander Abolore Adegbola Akande (born 17 January 1980), is a Nigerian musician, songwriter and dancer. He is known for his powerful use of the Yoruba language in his music as well as his proverbial lyrics and unique style of deliv ...

Tomi Odunsi Tomi Odunsi Fadina (born 24 May 1987) is a Nigerian television actress, singer, and songwriter best known for playing "Salewa" in the television series, ''Tinsel'', a popular African soap opera. Tomi married Seun Fadina in 2016. The couple's ...

, MC Galaxy and Iceberg Slim.

Composition

In the

fuji Fuji may refer to: Places China * Fuji, Xiangcheng City (付集镇), town in Xiangcheng City, Henan Japan * Mount Fuji, the tallest mountain in Japan * Fuji River * Fuji, Saga, town in Saga Prefecture * Fuji, Shizuoka, city in Shizuoka Prefectur ...

-inspired street anthem "Standing Ovation", Savage appears tough and plays up her credibility. In "Adura", Don Jazzy channels

Ebenezer Obey Ebenezer Remilekun Aremu Olasupo Obey-Fabiyi (born 3 April 1942), known professionally as Ebenezer Obey, is a Nigerian jùjú musician. Early life Obey was born on 3 April 1942 to an Egba–Yoruba ethnic background family. Obey, whose real ...

and incorporates drums and bass-guitar melodies. The secular track "African Waist" contains elements of

Afro-Caribbean music Afro-Caribbean music is a broad term for music styles originating in the Caribbean from the African diaspora. These types of music usually have West African/Central African influence because of the presence and history of African people and their ...

and

dubstep Dubstep is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in South London in the early 2000s. The style emerged as a UK garage offshoot that blended 2-step rhythms and sparse dub production, as well as incorporating elements of broken be ...

; its production features full horns, muted-trumpet solos and saxophone riffs.

Echezonachukwu Nduka Echezonachukwu Chinedu Nduka (born 19 July 1989) is a Nigerian poet, author, pianist, recording artist, and musicologist specializing in piano music by West African composers. His work has been featured on BBC, Radio Nacional Clasica de Argentin ...

of ''Praxis Magazine'' said the song is "experimental in both rhythmic and vocal delivery". "We Don't Give a Damn" is composed of martial-like band music and muted trumpet riffs. "Rewind" has elements of

Middle Eastern music The various nations of the region include the Arabic-speaking countries of the Middle East, the Iranian traditions of Persia, the Jewish music of Israel and the diaspora, Armenian music, Kurdish music, Azeri Music, the varied traditions of Cypriot ...

, while the

-assisted track "If I Start to Talk" is grounded in

Afrobeat Afrobeat is a Nigerian music genre that involves the combination of West African musical styles (such as traditional Yoruba music and highlife) and American funk, jazz, and soul influences, with a focus on chanted vocals, complex intersecting ...

. "Make time" is reminiscent of

reggae music Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use th ...

from the 80s. The

dancehall pop Dancehall pop is a sub-genre of the Jamaican genre dancehall that originated in the early 2000s. Developing from the sounds of reggae, dancehall pop is characteristically different in its fusion with western pop music and digital music producti ...

track "Key to the City" features vocals by Jamaican singer

. The emotional track "Bang Bang" has been described as the classic romance template in microcosm. The

-assisted track "Go Down" is thematically about

oral sex Oral sex, sometimes referred to as oral intercourse, is sexual activity involving the stimulation of the genitalia of a person by another person using the mouth (including the lips, tongue, or teeth) and the throat. Cunnilingus is oral sex per ...

. In "Love Me Hard",

2Baba Innocent Ujah Idibia MON (born 18 September 1975), known by his stage name 2Baba, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter, record producer, entrepreneur and philanthropist. Noted for his vocal range, lyrical depth, and longevity, he is widely regard ...

reworked a line from his ''

Grass 2 Grace ''Grass 2 Grace'' is 2face Idibia's second solo album. The album won him numerous awards, including a MOBO award in 2007. It has hits like See me so, True love, If love is a crime, For Instance, etc. Track listing # "Intro (Skit)" (Innocent Uj ...

'' album. In the

-assisted track "Before Nko", Savage brags about her sexual drive. Nduka criticized the song for appropriating

Faze FaZe Clan (formerly FaZe Sniping) is a professional esports and entertainment organization headquartered in Los Angeles, California, USA. Founded on May 30, 2010, the organization has players from around the world, across multiple games, includ ...

's "Need Somebody".

Singles and other releases

"My Darlin" was released as the album's lead single on October 8, 2014. It was jointly produced by Don Jazzy and Baby Fresh. The accompanying music video for "My Darlin" was directed by

Kemi Adetiba Kemi Adetiba (born 8 January 1980) is a Nigerian filmmaker, television director and music video director, whose works have appeared on Channel O, MTV Base, Sound City TV, BET and Netflix. Education Kemi holds bachelor's degree in law fro ...

. In the video's opening scene, Savage plays the role of an older woman who jokes about a wedding party in a room full of bridesmaids. The video also depicts images of Savage's wedding gown and a non-linear portrait of a loving yet tragic relationship. The

-assisted track "Standing Ovation" was released as the album's second single on January 14, 2016. The accompanying music video for "Standing Ovation" was shot and directed by

Clarence Peters Clarence Abiodun Peters (born 27 July 1978) is a Nigerian music video director, filmmaker and cinematographer. He is the founder and CEO of Capital Dream Pictures, a production company that specialises in the realms of the performing arts, fil ...

. A carnival-themed music video for "African Waist" was shot in South Africa and released in December 2015. In the video, Don Jazzy plays the role of a fitness instructor. Princess Abumere of Pulse Nigeria described the song as a "cheerful fusion of soul calypso and afrobeat". The Clarence Peters-directed music video for "If I Start to Talk" was released In April 2016. A teaser clip of the video was released the previous day. Tope Delano of

TooXclusive tooXclusive is a Nigerian music and review website. Launched in 2010 by Olutayo "Tyler" Duncan Sotubo. This website is notable for organizing its yearly tooXclusive Online Music Awards. They pride their establishment as the number one source f ...

said the song is a "deeply personal and raw account of Tiwa's life story". The music video for the Wizkid-assisted track "Bad" was released in July 2016, a day after the confirmation of Savage's

Roc Nation Roc Nation is an entertainment agency founded by Jay-Z in 2008. The company is headquartered in Manhattan and has additional offices in Los Angeles and London. Roc Nation comprises a comprehensive talent agency, sports agency, record label, mana ...

deal. It was directed by

Sesan Ogunro Sesan Ogunro (born 11 January 1983) is a Nigerian music video director based in the United Kingdom, often credited for his work as Sesan. He has directed music videos for Afrobeats genre artists such as D'Banj, Wizkid, Tiwa Savage and Davido. He ...

and features cameo appearances from Banky W,

Funke Akindele Olufunke Ayotunde Akindele-Bello (born 24 August 1977) popularly known as Funke Akindele or Jenifa, is a Nigerian film actress, politician and producer.Funsho AkinwaleFunke Akindele gives first glimpse of her twins ''The Guardian'' Akindele sta ...

and

Denrele Edun Adenrele Oluwafemi Edun popularly known as Denrele (born 3 June 1981), is a Nigerian television presenter, actor, model, and dancer who has been recognized with many awards including The Best TV Personality at the NEAs in New York 2011, Dynamix ...

. In the video, Wizkid and Savage are seen putting up graffiti on the wall. The Clarence Peters-directed visuals for "Rewind" was released in October 2016; Nigerian actor Emmanuel Ikubuese plays Savage's love interest in the video.

Critical reception

''R.E.D'' received mixed reviews from

music critics Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on w ...

. In a review for 360nobs, Wilfred Okiche characterized the album as "a basic Nigerian pop record" despite it boasting "an interesting concept driven title". Okiche also opined that Savage is more grounded on the album and knows who her target audiences are. A writer for Pulse Nigeria described the album as a "singer-songwriter’s album through and through" and said it is "personal and organic, fresh and contemporary without being beholden to conformist radio sounds". Reviewing for Music in Africa, music journalist Oris Aigbokhaevbolo praised Savage for "producing an album deserving of the attention she craves", but cited the unevenness of the songwriting as its weakness. Ade Tayo of Simply African Music said ''R.E.D'' is quite inferior to ''

Once Upon a Time "Once upon a time" is a stock phrase used to introduce a narrative of past events, typically in fairy tales and folk tales. It has been used in some form since at least 1380 (according to the ''Oxford English Dictionary'') in storytelling in the ...

'' from a direction and cohesive standpoint.

of ''Praxis Magazine'' praised the album for staying true to its themes, but ended the review saying the "high presence of featured artistes robs her of full credits".

Accolades

Track listing

Personnel

*Tiwatope Savage – primary artist, writer *Michael Collins Ajereh – executive producer, featured artist, writer, production *Tunji "Tee Billz" Balogun – executive producer *Olamide Adedeji – featured artist, writer *Olusegun Olowokere – featured artist, writer *Innocent Idibia – featured artist, writer *Charles Enebeli – featured artist, writer *Sidney Onoriode Esiri – featured artist, writer *Glendale Goshia Gordon – featured artist, writer *Ayoleyi Hanniel Solomon – featured artist, writer *Ayodeji Balogun – featured artist, writer *Paul and Peter Okoye – featured artist, writer *Sunday "Baby Fresh" Enejere – production *Aluko "Altims" Timothy – production *Ben'Jamin "Spellz" Obadje – production *Richard "P2J" Isong – production

Release history

References

External links

* {{Authority control 2015 albums Albums produced by Don Jazzy Albums produced by Spellz Tiwa Savage albums Yoruba-language albums