49-99 - The Number that's Changing the Industry.

If 49-99  proved anything, it's that you can never underestimate the power of creativity and the burning intensity of relentless promotion.

49-99 was released on a blooming Thursday afternoon, on the 5th of September 2019 making it 3-weeks since Tiwa Savage made the song available for global streaming.

The track is a wavy Afrobeat bang, complimented with beats and exciting Jamz that create a vibe that gets people moving.
It's her first single under her new recording deal with the Universal Music Group. Really, judging by the commercial success of this track, it's easy for one to say there couldn't have been a better way to start out.

Naturally, majority of us were expecting the usual hit track that only gets recognition on music channels based on the fact that It's Mama Jam Jam as her fans like to call her and she has done well for herself over the years by giving enough to earn our trust on delivery.
Instead, Tiwa Savage gave us something more than our expectations, a groundbreaking eccentric bang that's dripping of creativity and symbolism. The track didn't just clear national charts, it broke grounds beyond the walls of Nigerian entertainment.
Fans and music lovers couldn't get over the track's jaw-dropping accompanying video.
It was amazing! If you hadn't seen the artiste before, you probably would have thought she's an international act.  The video made it evident that our Tiwa Savage of Kele Kele love, All Over and Wanted was still very much in check.

 Dishing us striking visuals and impressive imagery, the video made it clear that hiring the right team is non-negotiable for any forward-thinking musician that's looking to break barriers. Everybody involved in the production gave 100% professionalism. From the costumiers, staging, the directing, promotion and even down to the casts. It was quite obvious that these—the concept and delivery— was deliberate.

Speaking of concept, the title 49-99 was adopted from the lyrics of the legendary Fela Kuti's famous song " Suffering and Smiling. "49 sitting and 99 standing in a commuting bus" is themed on the hard life many Nigerians go through and how political leaders and corruption are contributing to this affairs. It's exciting to see that Tiwa is using her music to discuss societal ills and motivate people to strive harder. Something we rarely see in today's music.

Costume

The recreation of Elliot Ellifosun's photography of the Congolese school girl of 1972. The singer is seen with a group of women dressed in blue and white uniform with their hair in threaded style.

In another scene, The image of Diana Ross and her unforgettable flower accented look from the late '60s was evocated too. Tiwa is laid out with lengthy braids forming intricate patterns around her body.

In the weirdest way, the track still served as a representation of our cultural values.

 All of these creativities didn't just satisfy this video's visuals and help her break into international mainstream, but defied expectations of what was possible for Nigeria pop stars in the coming years; changing how the world sees our music, and thankfully, this time it's a good way.

Promotion

This was deliberately satisfied. The Universal Music Group alongside the artiste herself ensured no box was left unchecked. From online campaigns, interviews and billboard placement to the premiere-here and abroad, radio and music channels. They made sure she was in our eyes, head, and mind.

Tiwa Savage herself was the linchpin of the entire campaign, making appearances left and right, home and abroad, talking to the press and media houses about the music and it's encompassed message. It was loud enough that even Billboard heard its scream.

Again, Her appearance at two massive fashion shows – New York Fashion Week and The Millan Fashion Week where she performed for Iceberg and of course, the performance under Obalende bridge in conjunction with Boomplay all came up quite well for her international publicity push and engagement with her home fans.

Really, it's been a while since we had any artiste or record label put this much effort into the promotion of a single track. Most of the time, this much is done for albums.

It's no rocket science the music succeeded.

All of these – its visuals, the entire campaign, audiences desire to see the new UMG Tiwa – critically contributed to the success.

In my opinion, it's in the best interest of any artiste, music producer, and record label to adopt 49-99 as a template on how to achieve status within the pop music milieu.
It's high time the world saw Nigeria and Africa at large as an “artistic volcano” waiting to erupt.

49-99 is a message to artists and music producers to pay more attention to the business part of music and also a call to foreign entertainment companies to come invest in Nigeria's creativity, a vine bearing rich fruits.

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