Tiwa Savage has clarified her viral “f*ck the big three” remark, saying it was a critique of the industry narrative and not a direct attack on the artistes.

The controversy began in August during Savage’s London album launch concert. After hinting she had provocative thoughts to share, the ‘Somebody’s Son’ hitmaker declared, “F*ck the top three”.

“I have a lot of things to say but I will be trending by tomorrow, is this a safe place? F*ck the top three,” she said.

Given that the term ‘Big Three’ in Nigerian music commonly refers to stars Wizkid, Burna Boy, and Davido, the comment sparked widespread criticism for perceived disrespect.

However, in a recent interview on The Breakfast Club, Savage provided context for her statement.

She explained that her target was not the individuals but the restrictive label that overshadows other talented artistes on the continent.

Savage pointed to the success of other stars, such as Yemi Alade, Flavour, Asake, Tems, and Rema, questioning why they are excluded from the conversation.

“Not ‘f*ck them’ but the narrative of the big three. F that narrative, because this is a continent with so many artistes, and we keep reducing it to just three every time,” she said.

“We have Yemi Alade, Flavour, Asake, Tems, Rema, why are they not included in the top three?”

She added that the “big three” narrative persists largely because of the artistes’ “active fan bases”.

“They have a very really strong fan base. Their fan bases are active, I guess that’s why,” she added.

This is not the first time she has challenged the concept; she has previously argued that the narrative sidelines the monumental achievements of women in Afrobeats.

She specifically questioned why a global phenomenon like Tems is not automatically considered among the top.