Water & Garri
2021 EP by Tiwa Savage
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Water & Garri is the second extended play by Nigerian singer Tiwa Savage, released on 20 August 2021 by Motown Records and Universal Music Group. The EP features guest appearances from Nas, Brandy, Amaarae, Tay Iwar, and Rich King. Supported by the singles "Tales by Moonlight" and "Somebody's Son", it serves as a follow-up to her third studio album, Celia (2020), and was produced by Tay Iwar, Cracker Mallo, Mystro, Le Mav, and Rich King.
| Water & Garri | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||
| EP by | ||||
| Released | 20 August 2021 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 19:04 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer |
| |||
| Tiwa Savage chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Water & Garri | ||||
| ||||
Background and singles
Savage revealed the EP's track list and cover art on 18 August 2021.[1] She released "Tales by Moonlight" featuring Amaarae as its lead single on 19 August 2021; the song was produced by Cracker Mallo.[2] The music video for "Tales by Moonlight" was released on 21 December 2021, and directed by Meji Alabi. In the video, Tiwa and Amaarae are in a bar and at a neon-lit gas station with men around them.[3] The EP's second single, "Somebody's Son" featuring Brandy, was released on 12 October 2021.[4] The music video for the single, also directed by Alabi, arrived the same day, and features scenes of Savage braiding Brandy's hair, along with moments of Black love, family, and sisterhood.[4][5]
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Afrocritik | 8.5/10[6] |
| Premium Times | 8/10[7] |
| Pulse Nigeria | 8.6/10[8] |
Motolani Alake of Pulse Nigeria described 'Water & Garri as a "supremely successful" EP that shows Tiwa Savage entering her "graceful years". He praised its experimental sound, authentic themes, and strong replay value, adding that Savage appears more mature and vulnerable on the project, calling it her best body of work and rating it 8.6/10.[8] Chinonso Ihekire, writing for Afrocritik, called the EP as a "no-skip record" with "something quite magical and therapeutic". Ihekire hailed its songwriting, "sophistication" in production, and its ability to "resonate with multiple demographics", a it awadig it 8.5/10.[6]
Adewojumi Aderemi, a writer for The Native magazine, characterized Water & Garri as a "dynamic amalgamation of tastes and styles" with "so much more sonic depth", praising how its "stunning" tracks "subvert our expectations and indeed exceed them" while showing Savage "doesn't compromise her identity" in the global pop space.[9] In a review for TheCable, Emmanuel Daraloye called the EP "a dart between hope and despair", as well as a "detour from the pop-centric Mama Jam Jam we all know" and a "great addition to Tiwa's impressive discography".[10]
Stephen Onu of Premium Times praised the EP for showing a "more personal and emotional side" to the singer, or "a 'Tiwa' without the 'Savage'". He commended it for its "phenomenal" production, and rated it 8/10.[7] Adanna Ogbolu of TXT Mag called Water & Garri "the music she was born to make", praising its "perfect and outstanding features" while noting it also shows how "stardom and commercial appeal can rob an artiste of her voice".[11]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Work Fada" (featuring Nas and Rich King) |
| Rich King | 6:26 |
| 2. | "Ade Ori" |
| Mystro | 2:16 |
| 3. | "Tales By Moonlight" (featuring Amaarae) |
| Cracker Mallo | 3:24 |
| 4. | "Somebody's Son" (featuring Brandy) |
| Mystro | 3:38 |
| 5. | "Special Kinda" (featuring Tay Iwar) |
|
| 3:19 |
| Total length: | 19:04 | |||
Personnel
- Rich King — production (track 1)
- Yusuf Hamashiach — recording (track 1)
- Michael "Mike" Manitshana — mixing, mastering (tracks 1–5)
- Mystro — production (track 2, 4), recording (track 4)
- Cracker Mallo — production, recording (track 3)
- Tay Iwar — production, recording (track 5)
- Le Mav — production (track 5)
Release history
| Region | Date | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| Various | 20 August 2021 |