Taves sees no reason to be shy about what he wants to be called. Not just “big,” not “blown,” and not any of the reflexive honorifics we bestow upon Nigerian musicians. “Popstar” is the title he’s assigned himself on his new project, Popstar – Side A, and one he defends with the ease of someone who has already made peace with being misunderstood. “Everyone doesn’t have to agree with me,” he says. “It’s more of a thing where I know who I am and what I am.” He has built a reputation as one of Nigeria’s most compelling young songwriters, creating music that is deeply personal while resonating with a wide audience.

I’ll admit I went into this conversation expecting the usual careful, PR-brushed answers that would be typical of an obvious star on the rise. What I got instead was warm, funny, and disarmingly easy, such that I had to keep a purposeful eye on the clock so we didn’t yap the day away. It’s almost unfair that one person can write like that, sing like that, look like that, and still have vibes like that.

We talked about everything: from who he was at age nine writing his first song, the artists and experiences who have shaped his sound over the years, and how he’s navigating life and creativity now, at 23.

Let’s start from the beginning. You started writing songs at nine. Do you remember what your first song was about?

Wow. I think it was a song that I wrote for a girl in my class, and I wrote it in this really huge songwriting book, then I gave it to her to read. I don’t remember singing it for her because I remember being very shy. But yeah, I think that was the first song that I wrote. I can’t tell you for sure what her reaction was, because it was so many years ago, but I can imagine how it would have gone.

Would you let anyone hear (or read) that song today?

Probably not, because it wasn’t like I was practising or anything. That was actually the first time ever. So, it was probably very cringe, and you wouldn’t want to listen to or read any of that right now.

So, you wouldn’t put it out even in like a ‘Life of Taves’ documentary?

I probably couldn’t even find that book today. So, probably not.

Do you know what the common thread is across all of them that you were drawn to?

I don’t know. I would say there’s this thing that Aṣa always used to say to describe her music. She makes music that has a soul in it that you can feel. I think that’s a really good representation of all the artists that I used to listen to when I was younger, and artists that I still listen to today. You can tell that everything they felt in the songs, everything they’re saying, is as real to them as it gets. That’s what made it real to me.

Okay. So, who are you listening to these days?

I really love the music that Victony has been putting out, those last two songs. I’ve gone back to listen to his older stuff. Recently, I started listening to the Saturn EP again. I think that project is just as relevant now as it was then for me.

There’s also this artist, Amma. She dropped an album earlier this year. She’s a really amazing songwriter, and I really love her music because she’s talking about things that I think about on a daily basis. It’s really sweet to have that.

Then there’s this new artist that my brother put me on to. Her name is Summer Joy. She kind of gives me Aṣa vibes, which I love so much. I like her vocals as well.

I’ve also been listening to a lot of Odeal and Joeboy. They’re really great guys, and their music is even better.

Okay. Can I make a recommendation?

Yeah, of course.

If you like Aṣa, I feel like you would really like Sewa.

Oh yeah. Yeah, I know Sewa, she’s my guy. I love her sound.

Folake was kind of the song that broke you into the broader consciousness. Do you remember what was happening in your life when you wrote it? And did you know while you were making it that it was going to be life-changing?

Honestly, I made that song about a year before I dropped it. At the time, I was transitioning into a new phase of my life. I had just moved to Lagos, and there were a lot of feelings and emotions that came with that. I was making a lot of new friends, meeting new people, and having new experiences.

I wrote that song based on a conversation that I had with a friend at the time. It was a very sensitive time. I think I made a lot of great songs then. I think I made “Chaos” off my new project around that time, and “Eleyele” as well.

Your project Are You Listening? came out in 2024, and you got recognition from Apple Music and Billboard nominations. So, when you listen back to it now, do you hear anything now that you didn’t hear when you were making it? Anything you would like to change?

I feel like everybody always has that feeling. Even when you’re done with the song, and you’re listening back, even up until the day before it drops, you listen and think, “I could have added this harmony here,” or “Changed this word,” or “Made this easier to understand.”

I don’t think it ever stops for anybody when you listen to your old stuff. But I don’t think there’s anything I would change because I feel like everything was the way it was for a reason.

You’ve said before that you started recording demos on your phone while you were studying computer science. So what was the moment where you knew that music had won over computer science, or was it a gradual thing?

I should explain that the only reason I went to university when I did and was really focused on school was that I felt like that’s what I was supposed to do. It wasn’t because I had a passion for computer science or anything related.

The reason I even picked computer science was because I used to watch The Flash, and there was this character, Cisco. He was really smart, built all these things, and was really good with computers. I thought, “Okay, this is a route to be like this guy that I think is so cool.” So I wasn’t in it because it was something I loved.

It’s always been music. Once the opportunity presented itself for me to pick music over everything else, I didn’t think twice.

Let’s talk about your new project, Popstar – Side A. I particularly think it’s interesting because we have a lot of terms for our successful musicians. We call them celebs, icons, legends, superstars, but we don’t really refer to anyone as a pop star. Why do you think that is?

I feel like it might be because it’s a term that people feel is reserved for artists that are super popular, super blown up. Someone like Ed Sheeran, Olivia Rodrigo, or Sabrina Carpenter. That’s who people would refer to as a pop star.

But I feel like we have a lot of pop stars in Nigeria and Africa as a whole. Burna Boy is a pop star. Ayra Starr is a pop star. Rema is a pop star. I don’t think anybody has really referred to themselves as that even though that’s what they are. That’s what I see them as, and that’s what I see myself as because I make music that I love so much that I think could become something really crazy one day.

I’m just trying to claim that because that’s how I feel about myself.

Okay. So, you’re referring to yourself as a popstar so that we refer to you as a popstar.

It’s more that everyone doesn’t have to agree with me. I know who I am and what I am.

Looking through the credits on the project, every song was written by you. I know different artists have different feelings on this, but is it super important for you to write your own material rather than having songwriters? Do you feel like having songwriters makes the project not yours?

Songwriters definitely play their part. They’re just not for me, but there’s no problem if other artists use them. For me, the songs that I write are based on my own personal experiences or my opinions on different situations and different things.

I’ve worked with songwriters before, but the relationship I need to have with the person has to be on a different kind of level before I feel like, “Okay, if you say something, it’s touching my heart enough for me to want to keep it on this song.”

For the most part, I don’t really get down with songwriters personally. I respect the part they play because I’m a songwriter as well, but all my songs are really personal to me and dear to my heart. It needs to come out of me.

From the beginning to the end of the project, it seems to have a relationship-leaning angle. So, being that you wrote it yourself, how much of it is autobiographical?

Pretty much most of it is from my own personal experience. But a song like “Take Me Away,” I wrote that after I watched 500 Days of Summer. I was trying to capture the feeling of despair. I was talking to someone the other day, and they called the main character a finished man. I was trying to capture what that looked like to me.

That’s how that song came about. So, it’s more my experiences and my view on different things. It could be that I haven’t gone through that personally myself, but I’ve seen the situation play out in front of me, and this is what I think about it.

For those of your songs that are about or refer to real people, do they know?

They don’t.

But would they be able to guess by listening?

I’ve never tried to find out. Everybody has a different point of view. If I’m giving my point of view on a song, the person might not clock that this is a song about the same situation we were both involved in.

Okay, so one of my favourite things to do is make artists guess how their work would exist as different things. So, if Popstar – Side A had a scent, what would it smell like?

This is a very interesting question. I’ve never thought about this before.

I would say when you get on a plane for the first time. I don’t know if that’s a thing, but they always spray something in the air that kind of disinfects it and gives it a fresh smell around the whole plane. I would say that because that smell reminds me of journeys and is associated with the feeling of, “Okay, I’m excited to see where this takes me.”

Okay, that’s a great answer. How about as a food or a drink?

A food or a drink? I would say it has very diverse sounds on it, so it has to be a dish that has different flavours.

Imagine a plate of jollof rice. It could be a little bit spicy. Then it has some chicken, which is a different taste, and plantain on the side, which is a whole other thing, and coleslaw as well. You have different taste groups that blend well together. I feel like that’s a good representation of what it is.

Not to be greedy because the project literally just dropped, but does Side A signal that we’re getting Side B soon?

Yeah, for sure. Of course.

Okay, good. I’m sure your fans would be happy to hear that. So, what’s a typical day like for Taves, the popstar?

When I’m working on music, and I haven’t dropped anything, it’s pretty mellow. I wake up pretty late. If I’ve had any ideas while I was sleeping, I try to get them out of my head, record them, or write some lines down. Then I just go about my day.

I’m mostly at home. If I’m not at home, I’m probably at my friend’s place or at my producer Ari’s studio. I don’t have to be recording all the time. I usually just go there to hang out, and maybe if ideas come, we can do something. Or if I’ve had an idea in my head, we try to get that out.

I kind of close off those days really late. I probably get to bed around 3 or 4 a.m. because my mind is always running. I’m always trying to figure out what I can do to elevate the stuff that I’ve previously done or change something in a song that I really like.

When I get busy, like around this period, it’s mostly interviews like this, performances, rehearsals, and things like that. I also try to take at least two or three hours out of the day to do something that clears my head. Maybe I’ll watch a movie or a show. I really love watching TV. That’s probably what a busy day looks like.

Do you think a day in the life of Taves is different from a day in the life of Toluwanimi?

Wow. One hundred per cent. I haven’t had a day as Tolu in a while because even on my less busy days, I don’t really have anyone who calls me by that name. Everybody just calls me Taves at this point. So, it’s been a while.

Do you wish people would use your government name more?

Yeah, but I don’t mind it either way. It’s more of a term of familiarity at this point. That’s kind of reserved for my close friends.

If I meet someone for the first time and they know my name and call me that, it’s definitely fine because it gives me the vibe that this person wants to get familiar with me, which is never a bad thing.

Where’d the name Taves come from?

You know what’s funny? I always used to give a really long, serious answer because I wanted to come across as this really deep, thoughtful person when I first started making music.

But truth be told, my brother and I were sitting in our sister’s room on a random Sunday when I was about 15 or 16. We were just throwing sounds and words around. The first letter of my name is T, so we wanted to see what we could attach to it and what would sound the coolest.

That was really where we were going with it. Just what would sound the coolest. We ended up with Taves. Not really a deep thing.

You’ve collaborated with Show Dem Camp, Ladipoe, among others. So, how do you decide who belongs on your records, who to work with, and is there a dream collaboration you’ve been chasing that hasn’t happened yet?

When I want to feature or collaborate with somebody, a lot of the time it’s because I recognise that this person is an expert at what they do, and I just want to be a part of that.

A huge part of it is also that the song itself has to be really amazing. Or if I’m the one who starts the idea first, I know that I’m handing it over to someone who’s going to do it justice. That’s always really important to me.

Is there a collab you want that hasn’t happened yet?

There’s a bunch, actually.

Top of my list, forever and always, will be Aṣa. Even if we make that song, she’ll still be at the top of my list because I probably can’t get enough. Even getting her on one song with me would be a real full-circle moment. From as early as I can remember in my life, she’s been there. That would be really life-changing for me personally.

I’d also say Victony because I’m a really huge fan of what he has going on. There’s Tems, Ayra Starr. I feel like we would make really beautiful music. There’s Amma, the artist that I mentioned earlier. I think she’s really amazing as well. Also, The Weeknd and Post Malone.

Do you prefer a collab that has you on the hook to a rap song, like “Pressure,” or you going verse-for-verse with another singer? But I feel like your list has been mostly other singers, so I’ve kind of gotten my answer. Am I right?

Yeah. I think I’ve only been on two songs where I’m doing the hook and rappers take the verses. I love that dynamic for sure.

But with other singers, there are more elements that can be added that get me excited personally. My favourite part of any song is the harmonies underneath what’s being sung. Those harmonies touch a different part of my brain that I can’t really describe.

What do you know about love now that you didn’t know two years ago? And how has that changed how you write about it?

I honestly can’t really tell you that I know a lot about love. I know that I’ve felt it and I feel it, but I can’t tell you that I know a lot.

What I do know is that you have to be accountable to yourself as much as the people that you love because it goes both ways. It can’t just be one-sided when it comes to effort, communication, or honesty.

Two years ago, I was younger by age, but I feel like between when I was 21 and now, I’ve grown a lot in my mind. I’m a lot more mature.

I now understand the value of really having those conversations because that solves a lot. Just talking solves a lot. It really does.

How’s 23 going for you? I feel like that’s a really great age. How’s it going? Are you enjoying it?

Yeah. I don’t really feel different from when I was 22, but I’ve only been 23 for about a month.

What is a song by someone else that you wish you had written?

Wow. There’s “For Days” by Bnxn. I love that song so much. I can’t even describe how much I love it. Play it anywhere today, and I’ll sing it back to you word for word. There’s “My Dear” by Aṣa. I think it’s a really beautifully written song. I wish I made that song. There’s also “God Be My Witness” by Ama. I only recently discovered it this year, but I think it’s beautifully written.

I’m a really big lyrics guy. If you can piece your words together in a way that blows my mind, I have a lot of respect for that.

 Across Popstar – Side A alone, you worked with Spax, OG Sterling, there’s a Samklef sample on there, Arie, and Synx. So, do you go to different producers for different emotions, or how do you pick what producer to work with?

Truth be told, all the producers that I’ve worked with on this side of Pop Star are very diverse in their production. I can go to the studio with Arie, Spax, OG, or Synx, and every single time I’m hearing something different from the last time I was there.

There’s not one specific sound that I’m going to each person for because they all have things that make them unique and distinct, regardless of what style of music it is.

I’m really excited to work with them mainly because I know that I’m never getting the same thing twice. I love experimenting and trying different sounds, so it works really well that we can blend together on any style of music.

When you started professionally, I think you were about 16. What is something that your current self knows about the industry that your 16-year-old self couldn’t have guessed?

When I was 16, I had the same opinion on the industry as everyone else. I felt like everything was straightforward. You do one thing, and the result you expect is the result you’re going to get. There’s no in-between. There’s no disappointment. There’s no waiting for things to become what you want them to become. I thought I would drop a song, and maybe a month later I’d start touring.

There’s so much more that goes into it now than I realised before. Even making songs, I’ve become a lot more technical. I want to make sure that I’m putting my best foot forward.

When I was 16, everything was so raw. I wrote something once, liked it, recorded it once, liked it, and kept it that way. Now I’ve realised that it takes a lot more effort and intentionality when it comes to making the songs you want to drop. Even after you put them out, there’s still so much work that goes into putting them in front of people who will love them, or pushing your music hard enough that people give it a chance. If it resonates with them, that’s great.

So, it’s a lot more work than I thought.

What’s a team role you didn’t expect to need? For example, every upcoming artist knows they need a manager, but they don’t know just how many other people they’d need. 

Either my stylist, Fadil, or my creative director, Anike.

My creative director has brought so much to the table. I can’t thank her enough. We think alike in a way, and that makes it so much easier because she’ll show me something that I didn’t even consider or expect to work, and it always does.

I felt like I had all the ideas before, but when we started working together, I realised that creative direction is an actual art.

The same goes for styling. I always felt like I was a pretty fresh guy, but looking back at some outfits I used to wear or some clothes I owned, I always ask myself, “What was I thinking?”

Fadil takes that element away from it. Since we started working together, when I look back at what I’ve worn, I’m always like, “Okay, yeah, I had that on.” We brainstorm together, and he has such a good eye for outfits and individual pieces. I don’t have any regrets in that regard.

You listen to a lot of music, but is there a genre that you find you just can’t get into?

To be honest, maybe almost a year ago, it was house music.

Right now, there’s a song called “Not My Day.” I can’t remember the artist’s name, but it’s the greatest song I’ve heard in my life. She wasn’t even really singing. She was just talking about a series of events that happened in a whole day. The instrumental, the melodies, what she was saying, everything blended together. It opened my mind and increased my appreciation for that style of music.

Now I love house music, but before it just wasn’t my thing.

What is a musical bad habit that you need to get rid of?

There’s this thing called demo-itis, and I think I’m cured of that now.

Before, I always had a problem with the mixes of songs and the final version after I recorded them and the engineer had worked on them. I always felt like it took away from the soul that was in the song.

I’ve come to realise that it’s super important because it makes it easier for people to digest. It makes the music as clean as possible. Or, if the intention is for it to sound raw, it gives it the feeling it’s supposed to have while still making it easy for people to listen to. It was really a problem for me before.

Shout out to Synx. He engineers all my songs. He understands me in a way that a lot of people don’t, and he gets what each song needs.

You’re quite literally at the beginning of your professional journey. Do you ever think about the end? Do you think you’ll be doing this until the end of time, or do you think a day will come where you’ll make a graceful exit and pick something else?

I think it’s difficult for me to picture right now. I don’t imagine there’s any artist who loves making music that ever wants it to end because it’s such a big part of my life. I really can’t picture anything else being as big or as important to me as music is right now. I need it to be alive, if I can say that.

But I also recognise the importance of knowing when it’s time to call it quits. Knowing when it’s time to step away from it and allow other things to take up that space in your life. I can’t imagine that it’s easy.

Right now, though, I definitely want to do this forever.