Emerging as one of the most exciting voices in Nigeria’s music scene, Taves has been making waves with a series of notable achievements. From being named Apple Music Rising Ambassador to earning the title of African Rookie of the Month by Billboard in March 2025, and a nomination for “Rookie of the Year” at the Headies, Ibadan’s very own gem has steadily carved out his space in the industry. From his very beginning in 2021 to his first viral hit “Folake” in 2024, Taves is now set to take the spotlight with his upcoming album ‘POPSTAR’. Leading the charge is his latest single “Popstar Party”, a high-energy party track that showcases his signature sound while promising even more surprises for fans on his upcoming album. In this interview, Taves discusses his journey, creative process, and what listeners can expect from his new musical chapter.
How are you, and how is your year going so far in 2025?
I’m doing pretty well. I feel like 2025 was my year of change. I’ve made a lot more music than I ever did before and I’m about to drop. I’ve also learned so many new things and thanks to that I’m more confident in the music that I’m making. So, it’s a lot of changes going around this year. Plus, I’m getting older, wiser and this maturity transfers into my lyrics and my sound. It’s very different from what I was making before.
You’ve been an Apple Music Rising ambassador, named Billboard’s African Rookie of the Month in March 2025, and nominated for Rookie of the Year at the Headies, among other distinctions. How did it feel to receive recognition from so many different and influential Platforms?
I’m not going to lie, it felt really great to be recognized. It means that I’m doing something right, that I’m on the right path. That’s how I like to look at it. So, I’m not super fixated on “oh, I got to win this or be nominated for this or do that.” I just want to make my music and make sure it gets to as many people as possible. But compliments like this are confirmation that I’m going in the right direction. So, I’m grateful but I stay focused.
Did you have any sort of pressure pursuing your journey with all these hopes on you? Or does that give you some kind of motivation?
It gives me a lot more motivation only because the people around me are very supportive. If something is good, they’re going to let me know that it’s good. If it’s not good they’re going to let me know that it’s not good and that I’ve got to try again. So, thanks to that, it’s a lot less pressure on me. I have the perfect team and the perfect environment that helps me develop and keep focused. It is so much easier to be sure of myself. It’s like “Ok guys we’ve reached this point; how do we do to get to the next point?” That’s more what I worry about rather than pressure.
From your debut track ‘Betterment’ in 2021, to your first viral hit ‘Folake’ in 2024, and now ‘Popstar Party’, how would you describe your artistic evolution from 2021 to today?
2021 was a different environment for me. I was still living with my parents and everything. I was straight out of secondary school. I did A levels for 2 years, so I was home every day and still sheltered. My whole childhood was relatively sheltered. Fast forward to 2024, and I had already left my parents’ house, and I went to university. Then I moved to Lagos and met Benson (now Bnxn). Shout out to BNXN because he’s the realest person that I know. Hanging around with him and being around all these things that I’m not used to sort of elevated my taste level. So, the music that I was listening to was different. The people I was interacting with were different too. The situations I would find myself in seemed so ridiculous to me at the time because I wasn’t used to them. These experiences inspired me to write the song “Folake”. Now in 2025 I’m a lot more settled in place. And that’s why the new music that’s about to come out sounds like a lot more confident Taves.
You seem to have a genuine connection with Bnxn. How would you describe your relationship with him?
I did a cover of one of his songs in 2022. That’s how he heard about me for the first time. People think that we’ve known each other since before, but no. He’s a real G. I know that if anybody’s going to be honest with me, it’s most definitely him. It makes it easier to just be very natural with each other. He’s my brother, my mentor. He’s done a lot.
How do you feel when people compliment your sound and even refer to you as a ‘Nigerian The Weeknd’?
It’s a very mixed bag of feelings. I don’t know what people hear when they’re saying this. I don’t know if it’s because of the beats or the voice or anything. Personally, I don’t feel like I did anything that The Weeknd would do. But I’m very big on everybody being able to interpret whatever they want and the way they want to, as long as they love it! Plus, The Weeknd is like the biggest artist in the world, so calling me Nigeria The Weeknd is definitely not an insult. It’s great. If you’re calling me this, then I’m definitely doing something right at least.
You’re often described as a key figure in the new wave reshaping the Afrobeats sound in Nigeria. How would you define the ‘Taves imprint’ within this evolving musical landscape?
I’ve never felt any kind of pressure to be the next man or the next big thing. Maybe at the beginning, but right now I can’t, to be honest. I explore various types of sounds and I’m always looking for the next unusual thing to try because I feel like Afrobeats have such a wide spectrum. And it’s not just the instrumental that’ll make the song, what you’re delivering on the song is essential as well. For example, “Popstar Party” has this pop vibe, yet I’m speaking Yoruba throughout the entire song. This represents Afrobeats to me. It’s a blessing to be an artist from Nigeria. We shouldn’t limit our creativity. There’s so much stuff out there. Nigeria is just one part of the world. It’s good to explore out of your zone, bring it back and sort of mix it into what you’re missing.
Many artists cosigned you and your art. Which artists did you grow up listening to that inspired you?
My earliest memory of music must be Asa’s. I don’t have any words to describe what she is and what her music represents to me. I also listened to a few songs outside of Nigeria, like The Weeknd, Akon, and Ed Sheeran. It was only when I was getting older that I started to open up to Afrobeats. I listened to artists like Oxlade. I was such a huge fan of his. Buju as well, especially when he dropped that “Italy” remix. It was blowing mad. Artists like Rema too, who came out when I was still in high school. Then I started going back and listening to even older songs, and I found love for Wizkid, Burna Boy, and Wande Coal.
2025 has been an incredible year for you, with collaborations featuring SDC, Spinall, Tiwa Savage, Yarden, L.A.X., and many others. How do you feel about all these achievements?
It’s a blessing. Everything is going fast so I’ve never had the time to step back and appreciate everything that is happening to me. But it’s insane because Spinall is Afrobeats heritage, Tiwa Savage is Afrobeats heritage, Show Dem Camp is Afrobeats heritage, so as L.A.X. Yarden is one of the coolest new artists that are coming out of Nigeria. The fact that these talented musicians wanted to include me in their art means a lot to me. It’s another sign that I’m doing things right. I’m super grateful to all these people for putting me on.
You even have a song with Eric Bellinger. How did that connection come about?
My manager Scoop was one of the A&Rs on Eric’s project, and Eric was looking for some features for a couple of songs. Scoop sent a couple over and as soon as I heard ‘Backtrack’ I was like “Okay, yeah, this is the one!” It took me a couple of weeks to get that done, but I felt like I needed to take my time on this. Eric really loved the records in the end. Then we got to talking and he’s a really cool guy too. He is really into the music which I love.
Should we expect more international features?
Based on the type of music that’s coming, I feel like there are a lot of people outside who would relate to the sounds and would want to groove or vibe to it. I’m definitely open to this idea.
Could you share the creative vision behind your upcoming album ‘POPSTAR’? What can fans expect from it?
I would say every song on this project sounds different. That’s one thing to note. The music itself down to the lyrics is a lot cockier and more confident. There are some crazy bops in there that’ll make people dance and soulful sounds that’ll make people think about their life or even bring them to tears. It’s a real blend of different topics. There’s music for everybody in it. My music is just a reflection of my experiences. This project reflects how I was feeling while making this body of work. This is what I’m trying to give to everyone else and see if they feel the same way about it.
You’ve released ‘Popstar Party’, which has a more upbeat, party vibe. Can you tell us more about this track?
I made this song with Wondah. He was the producer who came up with the idea. Arieenati worked on this song as well. I remember being at home with Wondah, watching Straight Outta Compton. There was a scene where Ice Cube was on stage and everybody was bopping up and down, up and down, up and down…. Later when Kemuel played the initial sample melody of what became ‘Popstar Party’, I told myself “f***, this has to be it!” because that scene from the movie immediately flashed in my head. From there, we were polishing the song around this.
What can we expect from Taves now, as the year comes to an end?
I’m thinking of planning a show in Lagos and in Ibadan as well. I lived there for a while, and it shaped a lot of my childhood. It really means something to me. I feel like I owe my fans something there as well.
Written By Piway Loko.
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