Popular Nigerian singer, Simi, discussed her recent collaboration with Tiwa Savage during a recent interview with American OAP Angela Yee. She also shared her thoughts on being compared to Tiwa and other female artists, as well as how Tiwa’s journey as a single mother in the music industry has influenced and motivated her.
On pitting female artistes against one another, Simi said:
“It’s everywhere. It’s so intense sometimes. Sometimes, it can be so distracting. Because there are not as many of us as compared to the guys in the industry, so when you have the few of us and a new lady break in the industry, immediately, they just put her against us. We can all thrive.
It’s been very distracting to the point where everything you do–I’ve spoken about women so many times, I have songs about women–but people assume that because I’m in the industry, the only way that my talking about women can be valid is if I’m doing a feature with women. And it’s just so weird because there’s women in different walks of life.
There’s my mum, there’s your mum, we have friends, we have people that work with us. So they do pit us against each other A LOT and I do think sometimes, that puts some kind of pressure on the type of relationship we would have otherwise.
You might say something and they’ll take it to mean something that it doesn’t mean. So sometimes you’re just trying to be careful of what you say or don’t say. But I think the longer you’ve been in the industry, the more you get used to it.”
Speaking more about Tiwa Savage and how her pregnancy and motherhood journey in the industry inspired her, Simi said:
“Whether or not I do a song with Tiwa, I respect her. I think she’s a phenomenal artist. She’s been in the game for so long and she’s been killing this. She’s amazing and I respect her so much.
I don’t think I’ve ever said this anywhere, but I remember when she first had her son. Watching her, at the time I wasn’t married and I didn’t have a child, so seeing how she got through that as well. Because the industry is not necessarily kind or patient with women. At the end of the day, if you’re going to carry the child, the woman has to be the one. So seeing her just find her way back and doing all these things, I just really admire her and think she’s amazing.”
Simi got married to singer, Adekunle Gold, on January 9, 2019 in Lagos. The couple welcomed their first child, Adejare, in 2020.
