Tay Iwar

Last updated
Tay Iwar
Tay Iwar 2019.jpg
Born
Austin Iornongu Iwar

(1997-06-09) 9 June 1997 (age 26)
Marina, Lagos Island
Occupations
  • Record producer
  • singer
  • songwriter
  • sound engineer
  • composer
Relatives
  • Suté Iwar (Brother)
  • Terna Iwar (Brother)
Musical career
Origin Benue State, Nigeria
Genres
Instrument(s) Guitar, piano
Years active2013–present
Labels
Website www.tayiwar.com

Austin Iornongu Iwar [2] (born 9 June 1997), known professionally as Tay Iwar, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter, composer, sound engineer and record producer known for his vibrant blend of R&B and Afro-fusion. [3] [4] He rose to stardom with the release of his first debut studio album GEMINI. [5] The project was released through Soulection, a Los Angeles based music collective.

Contents

He came into the music scene with a critically acclaimed mixtape album Passport, which earned him a nomination at the 3rd and 4th editions of Nigerian Teens Choice Awards in the Choice Mixtape/EP category in 2014 and 2015. On 23 November 2021, Wizkid Made in Lagos deluxe studio album, was nominated at the Grammy and earned him, a special recognition from The Recording Academy. [6]

Early life

Austin Iornongu Iwar was born on 9 June 1997 in Marina, and raised between Lagos and Abuja. His early influence in music, came from his elder brother Suté Iwar. Austin began creating music at age fourteen, using the digital music software FL Studio. [2]

Career

In 2014, Tay Iwar (formerly Tay) came into the music scene with his brother Suté Iwar. Same year, they created Bantu Collective, [7] an entertainment company in Abuja, for recording, and music distribution, [8] with a photo studio, headed by Terna Iwar. Shortly after, Iwar released his mixtape Passport, on 20 April 2014, through BANTU, [9] and launched his music career on SoundCloud, with a cover of Jai Paul "Zion Wolf", as Tay. [10] This earned him a nomination at 4th Nigerian Teens Choice Awards for Choice Song of the Year in 2015.

On 22 April 2016, he released a seven-track ep titled Renascentia, featuring Sute Iwar. [11] In 2017, "Equestrian Love" from the extended play Renascentia was on the soundtrack list of Skinny Girl in Transit season 3. [12] Shortly after the premiere of Skinny Girl in Transit season 3 in February, "Equestrian Love" gained popularity [13] and began trending on Twitter, shortly after M.I posted the song, of the moment. On 29 April 2017, he opens for Aṣa, at Encore "Live In Lagos" Concert 2017 at Eko Convention Center in Lagos. [8]

On 26 August 2018, Tay Iwar unveiled his publishing and distribution deal with Soulection, with the release of 1997, a collective of singles including "Space", "Sugardaddy", and "Miracle Girl", under Soulection, [14] as the lead singles off his debut album GEMINI, released on 29 March 2019. [15] The album features guess appearance from Cruel Santino, Preyé, Odunsi (The Engine), and Suté Iwar. [15] "Utero" from the album, earned him a nomination for Best Vocal Performance (Male) at the 14th edition of The Headies. On 13 April 2019, "Diamond", and "Keeps" from GEMINI, studio album was aired on Soulection radio. [16] [17] In 2020, he featured on Wizkid Made in Lagos album, on "True Love", with Projexx.

In 2021, following the release of the deluxe version on 27 August 2021, he co-wrote "Steady" from the deluxe version, which earned him his first nomination at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards, for Best Global Music Album. Same year, he co-wrote "System" [18] for Dave, from We're All Alone in This Together studio album, and was featured on Tiwa Savage Water & Garri EP on "Special Kinda". [19] On 1 December 2021, Tay, performed "True Love" with Wizkid, for the first time at Made in Lagos Tour in London at The O2 Arena. [20]

On 14 January 2022, he signed a worldwide publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music, [18] through a joint venture with The Flight Club. On 29 March 2022, Wizkid released the music video for "True Love", featuring Tay Iwar, and Projexx. [21] "True Love" was directed by Nabil Elderkin, and starring Jamaican-Canadian model Winnie Harlow, and Wizkid. [22] On 17 June 2022, he released "Bad4u" with its music video released on 19 June 2022. [23] In 2023, Iwar released "Healing", as the first single off his EP Summer Breeze. [24] On 3 March 2023, he released the music video for "Healing". [25] On 11 May 2023, Iwar released "Undercover Lover", as the second single off his debut EP Summer Breeze. [26]

On 8 June 2023, Iwar released "Summer Breeze" featuring Juls, [27] as the third single off his debut EP Summer Breeze. Following the release of his single, "Summer Breeze" was later supported with the release of his fifth debut extended play Summer Breeze, released on 9 June 2023, through CoolSweat, under the license of Believe Music, UK division. The debut EP features guest appearances from the Ghanaian music producer Juls, Nigerian singer Twelve XII, American rapper IDK, with British rappers Knucks, and Kojey Radical. [28]

Discography

Mixtapes

List of mixtapes with selected details
TitleMixtape details
Passport

Studio albums

List of studio albums with selected details
TitleAlbum details
GEMINI

EPs

List of extended plays with selected details
TitleEP details
Renascentia
1997
GOLD (with. Le Mav)
Love & Isolation
Summer Breeze

Other charted songs

List of charted songs, with selected chart positions
TitleYearPeak chart positionsAlbumSales Certifications
US
Afrobeats
"True Love"
(Wizkid featuring Tay Iwar & Projexx)		202046 [29] Made in Lagos
  • US: 100,000 [30]
    (as of March 2022)

Accolades

YearEventPrizeRecipientResult
2014 Nigerian Teens Choice Awards Choice Mixtape/EPPassportNominated
2015Nominated
2020 The Headies Best Vocal Performance (Male) Tay Iwar for "Utero"Nominated
2022 Grammy Awards Special RecognitionTay Iwar for ( Made in Lagos (Deluxe) by Wizkid)Nominated
The Headies Best Vocal Performance (Male) Tay Iwar for "Peaking" [31] Nominated
South African Music Awards Rest of Africa ArtistTay Iwar for Love and Isolation [32] Nominated

Tours

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wizkid</span> Nigerian singer and songwriter (born 1990)

Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun, known professionally as Wizkid, is a Nigerian singer and songwriter. A prominent figure in the modern day Afrobeats music scene, he is regarded as one of the most commercially successful and most influential African recording artists of the 21st century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Olamide</span> Nigerian rapper and singer (born 1989)

Olamide Gbenga Adedeji is a Nigerian rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. One of the most influential artists in Africa, he has been pivotal to the creative and commercial success of several Afrobeats music stars, and is consistently praised for his role in elevating Street Pop to mainstream recognition as a distinct music genre. He records in Yoruba and English. In 2011, he released his debut studio album Rapsodi while signed to Coded Tunes. YBNL, his follow-up album, was released under his label imprint "Yahoo Boy No Laptop," aka YBNL Nation. The album was supported by the singles "First of All," "Voice of the Street," "Stupid Love," and "Ilefo Illuminati." On 7 November 2013, he released his third studio album Baddest Guy Ever Liveth. The album's singles include "Durosoke" and "Yemi My Lover." On 17 July 2013, Olamide became the first Nigerian to sign an endorsement deal with Cîroc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burna Boy</span> Nigerian singer-songwriter (born 1991)

Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu , known professionally as Burna Boy, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter and record producer. He is credited for popularizing Afrobeats and Afrofusion globally.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spinall</span> Nigerian disc jockey

Oluseye Desmond Sodamola, professionally known as Spinall, is a Nigerian disc jockey, record producer, and songwriter. He was the official DJ to Wande Coal while he was affiliated with Mavin Records. He created a style edge to his outfit known as TheCAP, tracing his roots back to his culture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ycee</span> Nigerian rapper

Oludemilade Martin Alejo, known professionally as Ycee, is a Nigerian rapper, singer and songwriter. He gained popularity after his single "Condo", which features vocals by Patoranking, earned him two nominations at the 2015 Nigeria Entertainment Awards. He was also nominated for Best Artist in African Pop at the 2015 All Africa Music Awards and for Next Rated at The Headies 2016. Ycee signed a record deal with Sony Music in October 2016, but terminated his contract with the label in February 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Falz</span> Nigerian rapper (born 1990)

Folarin Falana, better known by his stage name Falz, is a Nigerian rapper, songwriter and actor who began his career while in secondary school after forming a group called The School Boys with his friend before his professional career as a music artist began in 2009. Falz became more well-known after releasing the song "Marry Me" featuring vocals from Poe and Yemi Alade.

Eric Isaac Utere, known professionally as LeriQ, is a Nigerian record producer and songwriter. He is currently signed to Spaceship Records, through Spaceship Collective. He achieved recognition for his work on Burna Boy's 2012 single Like To Party, and went on to produce the singer's debut album L.I.F.E (2013), and Twice as Tall (2020), which earned him an award at the 63rd Grammy ceremony.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chike (singer)</span> Nigerian singer

Chike Ezekpeazu Osebuka, popularly known by his stage Chike, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter and actor. Chike gained prominence by participating in the Nigerian reality competition Project Fame West Africa. Additionally, he showcased his talents on The Voice Nigeria, where he achieved the second position during Season 1. Chike ventured into acting by making his debut as Mayoma Badmus on the Africa Magic Showcase telenovela Battleground. He also appeared in the production Gang of Lagos, portraying the character Ify.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nonso Amadi</span> Nigerian musician (born 1995)

Chinonso Obinna Amadi is a Nigerian singer, songwriter and music producer. He is a self-taught songwriter and music producer who embarked on his music career in 2012, while at Covenant University, where he studied chemical engineering. His currently signed to UMG Canada, Def Jam Recordings, UMG Nigeria, Polydor, and MCA Records France.

Zainab Elizabeth Donli, known as Lady Donli, is a Nigerian musician. She is an alternative R&B, hip hop, alternative jazz and Afrobeat singer and songwriter.

<i>Made in Lagos</i> 2020 studio album by Wizkid

Made in Lagos is the fourth studio album by Nigerian singer Wizkid. It was released on 30 October 2020 by Starboy Entertainment and RCA Records. The album features guest appearances from Burna Boy, Skepta, H.E.R., Ella Mai, Tay Iwar, Projexx, Tems, Damian Marley, Terri and was executive produced by P2J. The deluxe edition was released on 27 August 2021. It features additional guest appearances from Buju and Justin Bieber. In support of the album, Wizkid embarked on the Made in Lagos Tour (2021–2022). The album received a nomination at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards for Best Global Music Album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">P.Priime</span> Nigerian record producer and songwriter

Peace Emmanuel Aderogba Oredope, professionally known as P.Priime , is a Nigerian record producer, DJ, music director, mixing engineer and songwriter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CKay</span> Nigerian singer and record producer (born 1995)

Chukwuka Chukwuma Ekweani, better known by his stage name Ckay, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter and record producer signed to Warner Music South Africa and Atlantic Records. He was formerly signed to Chocolate City, a member of Warner Music Group independent label services ADA. His international hit single "Love Nwantiti", also known as "Love Nwantiti ", was released in 2019 by Chocolate City. On 29 March 2022, the song debuted at number one, following the launch of the Billboard Afrobeats chart. On 9 May 2022, it became the first-ever African song to surpass one billion streams on Spotify and has since been deemed "the biggest hit in African history".

Osayaba Andrew Ize-Iyamu, better known by his stage name Cruel Santino, is a Nigerian alternative singer-songwriter, rapper and director. He is a member of Monster Boys collective, with music producers Genio Bambino, and GMK. He is signed to Interscope Records, in partnership with Monster Boy, Love Renaissance and Warner Chappell Music. Santino's debut into the music scene was met with critical acclaim when he released his studio album Mandy & The Jungle, introducing the alté fashion, and music, into the mainstream, notably with his track "Rapid Fire".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">P2J</span> Nigerian-British producer

Richard Olowaranti Mbu Isong, known professionally as P2J is a Nigerian-British producer from London, England. He has produced for high-profile pop artists including Beyoncé, Wizkid, Stormzy, FKA Twigs, Burna Boy, Tems, and Doja Cat, among others.

Bolaji Odojukan, better known by his stage name BOJ is an English-Nigerian singer, songwriter and record producer. He is one-third of the musical group DRB LasGidi with TeeZee and Fresh L, and is known as a pioneer of alté.

Aylø, is a Nigerian neo-soul, and alternative R&B singer, songwriter, and music producer. He came into the music scene with an acclaimed mixtape album Insert Project Name, with lead track "wys?", featuring Cruel Santino. The accompanying music video for "wys?", was released on 26 May 2018, in collaboration with Samsung Nigeria, and HelaBase.

Lekan Osifeso Jnr., popularly known as Lojay, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter and producer. He peaked at number 8 on the Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart with his song "Monalisa", which features Chris Brown and Sarz. His song is also the most played afrobeats song on Shazam according to Cool FM Nigeria and NotJustOk. He was nominated for the Headies Award for Next Rated artiste for the year 2022.

Godson Ominibie Epelle, known professionally as 1Da Banton, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter and record producer. He is best known for his song "No Wahala", first released in 2021, and re-released in 2022 as a remix featuring Kizz Daniel and Tiwa Savage.

Emoseh Khamofu known professionally as Bloody Civilian is a Nigerian singer, songwriter and a record producer signed to 0207 Def Jam, a UK arm of Def Jam Recordings. She is most noted for her single "How To Kill A Man" and "Wake Up" featuring Rema, which as soundtracked in the American 2022 superhero film Black Panther. She is also known for her feature on "Blood on the Dance Floor" with ODUMODUBLVCK. Bloody is profiled by The Guardian Nigeria as among the most radical of emerging mavericks in Nigerian music scene and by NME as an essential emerging artist for 2023. On 9 October 2023, she ranked number 1 on TurnTable's NXT Emerging Top Artistes, and On 6 November 2023, she ranked number 16 on TurnTable's Artiste Top 100 On January 2024, Bloody Civilian was announced to be on the EP for Bob Marley's biopic, One Love.

References

  1. ↑ Odutola, Tayo (30 March 2019). "Nigerian R&B artist Tay Iwar openly shares his love for "MONICA"". Earmilk . Earmilk . Retrieved 10 August 2022. Nigerian alternative R&B act Tay Iwar returns with another enthralling record simply entitled "MONICA".
  2. 1 2 "tw Hidden Gems: Tay Iwar". TW Magazine. 9 January 2018. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
  3. ↑ "Tay Iwar Is Nigeria's Shining Neo-Soul Beacon". Clash Magazine. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  4. ↑ "Tay Iwar Interview: Transcending Genre & Style". DJBooth. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  5. ↑ "With Gemini, Tay Iwar follows the trend of not following a trend". PAM - Pan African Music. 12 April 2019. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  6. ↑ "See First-Time Nigerian Artists Who Got Grammy Nominations". Cool FM - Your Number One Hit Music Station !. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  7. ↑ "Tay Iwar: Nigeria's Most Reclusive Musician Opens Up". OkayAfrica. 21 May 2019. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  8. 1 2 "A Win for Bantu: Tay Iwar is opening for Asa's Encore Concert". The NATIVE. 28 April 2017. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  9. ↑ Alonge, Tinya (22 April 2014). "MIXTAPE: TAY – PASSPORT". The Culture Custodian (Est. 2014.). Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  10. ↑ "5 SoundCloud Artists That Can Take Over Your Faves". Accelerate TV. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  11. ↑ Ade-Unuigbe, Adesola (25 April 2016). "BN Music: Tay Iwar's New Mixtape "Renascentia" is a Must Listen for Music Lovers!". BellaNaija. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  12. ↑ "The Song Everyone is Talking About after #SGIT3…"Equestrian Love" by Tay Iwar". BellaNaija. 9 February 2017. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  13. ↑ "Five New Interesting African Musicians". The Guardian Nigeria. 27 August 2017. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
  14. ↑ "Listen to Tay Iwar's latest set 1997". The NATIVE. 26 August 2018. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  15. 1 2 Alake, Motolani (15 April 2019). "Tay Iwar's 'GEMINI' talks bad love affairs with great songwriting". Pulse Nigeria. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  16. ↑ "Show #403". soulectiontracklists.com. 13 April 2019. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
  17. ↑ "Joe Kay Focuses on Nigerian Music in This Episode of Soulection Radio". OkayAfrica. 25 April 2019. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
  18. 1 2 "Warner Chappell signs Nigerian singer, songwriter and producer Tay Iwar". www.musicweek.com. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  19. ↑ "Tiwa Savage's "Water & Garri" EP features Brandy, Amaarae, Nas & Tay Iwar | See the Tracklist". BellaNaija. 17 August 2021. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
  20. ↑ "Tay Iwar: Love & Isolation". Notion. 28 January 2022. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  21. ↑ "WizKid Enlists Winnie Harlow In Video For "True Love" Featuring Tay Iwar & Projexx". GRM Daily. 29 March 2022. Retrieved 25 April 2022.
  22. ↑ "Wizkid shares celestial visuals for "True Love"". The FADER. Retrieved 25 April 2022.
  23. ↑ Nwangwu, Adaora (17 June 2022). "Grammy-nominated Artiste Tay Iwar Unveils New Track 'Bad4u'". The Culture Custodian (Est. 2014.). Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  24. ↑ Staff, Wonderland (24 February 2023). "Tay Iwar Returns With New Single "Healing"". Wonderland. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  25. ↑ Murray, Robin (6 March 2023). "Tay Iwar Shares New 'Healing' Video". Clash Magazine. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  26. ↑ Murray, Robin (11 May 2023). "Tay Iwar Links With Twelve XII On 'Undercover Lover'". Clash Magazine. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  27. ↑ Renshaw, David. "Tay Iwar glides into the night-time on his new song "Summer Breeze"". The FADER. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  28. ↑ Esomnofu, Emmanuel (9 June 2023). "A 1-Listen Review of Tay Iwar's 'Summer Breeze'". The NATIVE. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  29. ↑ Cusson, Michael (29 March 2022). "Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs". Billboard. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  30. ↑ "Wizkid's 'True Love' With Projexx, Tay Iwar Sells 100k Units In US". DancehallMag. 17 March 2022. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  31. ↑ "2022 Headies Full List Nominees". Vanguard News. 24 May 2022. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
  32. ↑ Shumba, Ano (29 August 2022). "South African Music Awards 2022: All the winners". Music In Africa. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.