Tay Iwar

Tay Iwar
Born	Austin Iornongu Iwar (1997-06-09) 9 June 1997 (age 27) Marina, Lagos Island, Nigeria
Occupations	Record producer singer songwriter sound engineer composer
Relatives	Suté Iwar (Brother) Terna Iwar (Brother)
Musical career
Origin	Benue State, Nigeria
Genres	Alté R&B[1] neo soul
Instrument(s)	Guitar, piano
Years active	2013–present
Labels	BANTU Soulection CoolSweat
Member of	BANTU Collective
Website	www.tayiwar.com

Austin Iornongu Iwar Jnr^[2] (born 9 June 1997), known professionally as Tay Iwar, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter, composer, sound engineer and record producer known for his vibrant blend of R&B and Afro-fusion,^[3][4] drawing upon classic Afrobeat, hip-hop, and future sounds. Tay Iwar’s career can often feel longer than it’s been. He was only in his teens when he released his first full-length projects, including 2016's Renascentia. He then rose to wider fame with 2019's Gemini,^[5] released with LA-based music collective Soulection.

He came into the music scene with a critically acclaimed mixtape album Passport, which earned him a nomination at the 3rd and 4th editions of Nigerian Teens Choice Awards in the Choice Mixtape/EP category in 2014 and 2015. On 23 November 2021, "Wizkid’s Made in Lagos deluxe studio album, was nominated at the GRAMMYs and earned him, a special recognition from The Recording Academy".^[6]

Early life

Austin Iornongu Iwar was born on 9 June 1997 in Marina, and raised between Lagos and Abuja. His early influence in music, came from his elder brother Suté Iwar. Austin began creating music at age fourteen, using the digital music software FL Studio.^[2]

Career

On April 22, 2016, Tay Iwar released a seven-track EP titled Renascentia, featuring Suté Iwar.^[7] The EP included the track "Equestrian Love," which was later featured on the soundtrack of the third season of Skinny Girl in Transit in 2017.^[8] Following the premiere of the series, the song gained popularity after being shared by artist M.I. On April 29, 2017,^[9] Iwar opened for Aṣa at the Encore "Live In Lagos" Concert held at the Eko Convention Center in Lagos.^[10]

In 2019, Iwar released his studio album GEMINI, which includes guest appearances from Cruel Santino, Preyé, Odunsi (The Engine), and Suté Iwar.^[11] The track "Utero" earned Iwar a nomination for Best Vocal Performance (Male) at the 14th edition of The Headies. On April 13, 2019, his songs "Diamond" and "Keeps" from GEMINI were featured on Soulection radio.^[12]

In 2020, Iwar collaborated with Wizkid on the track "True Love," alongside Projexx, which later earned him his first Grammy nomination.^[13] He also featured on Omah Lay's Boy Alone album in 2022. On March 29, 2022, Wizkid released the music video for "True Love," featuring both Tay Iwar and Projexx.^[14]

In 2022, Iwar was nominated for “Artist of the Year” (Rest of Africa) at the South Africa Music Awards for his EP Love and Isolation. He contributed to Wizkid's Made in Lagos: Deluxe Edition (2020) with songwriting credits for "True Love" and "Steady," and he worked on More Love, Less Ego (2022) with songwriting credits for "Deep" and "Frames."^[15] He also co-produced Burna Boy's "Alone," featured on the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack album (2022), and contributed to Dave's track "System" with Wizkid, which peaked at number one on the Official Afrobeat Chart. In late 2023, Iwar received two Grammy nominations for his work on the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack.^[16]

On June 17, 2022, Iwar released the single "Bad4u," followed by a music video on June 19, 2022. In 2023, he released "Healing," the lead single from his EP Summer Breeze, with its music video premiering on March 3, 2023. On May 11, 2023, he released "Undercover Lover," the second single from Summer Breeze. On June 8, 2023, he released.^[17] featuring Juls, which was subsequently followed by the official release of Summer Breeze on June 9, 2023, through CoolSweat. The EP features collaborations with Juls, Twelve XII, IDK, Knucks, and Kojey Radical.^[18]

In 2024, Tay Iwar featured on Headie One's The Last One album on the track "Guns & Money". He also released the second installment of his GOLD EP with Le Mav on July 12, 2024.^[19]

Discography

Mixtapes

List of mixtapes with selected details

Title	Mixtape details
Passport	Released: 20 April 2014 Label: BANTU Formats: Digital download, streaming

Studio albums

List of studio albums with selected details

Title	Album details
GEMINI	Released: 29 March 2019 Label: Soulection Formats: Digital download, streaming

EPs

List of extended plays with selected details

Title	EP details
Renascentia	Released: 22 April 2016 Label: Bantu Formats: Digital download, streaming
1997	Released: 26 August 2018 Label: Soulection Formats: Digital download, streaming
GOLD with Le Mav	Release date: 13 December 2019 Label: GOLD Formats: Digital download, streaming
Love & Isolation	Released: 16 April 2021 Label: Jungle/Bantu Formats: Digital download, streaming
Summer Breeze	Released: 9 June 2023 Label: CoolSweat, Believe UK Formats: Digital download, streaming
Gold II with Le Mav	Released: 12th July 2024 Label: CoolSweat, Believe UK Formats: Digital download, streaming

Other charted songs

List of charted songs, with selected chart positions

Title	Year	Peak chart positions	Album	Sales	Certifications
		US Afrobeats
"True Love" (Wizkid featuring Tay Iwar & Projexx)	2020	46[20]	Made in Lagos	US: 100,000[21] (as of March 2022)	RISA: Platinum[22]

Accolades

Year	Event	Prize	Recipient	Result
2014	Nigerian Teens Choice Awards	Choice Mixtape/EP	Passport	Nominated
2015				Nominated
2020	The Headies	Best Vocal Performance (Male)	Tay Iwar for "Utero"	Nominated
2022	Grammy Awards	Special Recognition	Tay Iwar for (Made in Lagos (Deluxe) by Wizkid)	Nominated
	The Headies	Best Vocal Performance (Male)	Tay Iwar for "Peaking"[23]	Nominated
	South African Music Awards	Rest of Africa Artist	Tay Iwar for Love and Isolation[24]	Nominated

References

1. Odutola, Tayo (30 March 2019). "Nigerian R&B artist Tay Iwar openly shares his love for "MONICA"". Earmilk. Earmilk. Retrieved 10 August 2022. Nigerian alternative R&B act Tay Iwar returns with another enthralling record simply entitled "MONICA".
2. "tw Hidden Gems: Tay Iwar". TW Magazine. 9 January 2018. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
3. Interviews, Clash Magazine Music News, Reviews &; ClashMusic (2021-05-17). "Tay Iwar Is Nigeria's Shining Neo-Soul Beacon". Clash Magazine Music News, Reviews & Interviews. Retrieved 2024-08-07.
4. "Tay Iwar Transcends Genre & Style". DJBooth. 2021-05-14. Retrieved 2024-08-07.
5. "With Gemini, Tay Iwar follows the trend of not following a trend". PAM - Pan African Music. 2019-04-12. Retrieved 2024-08-07. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)
6. "See First-Time Nigerian Artists Who Got Grammy Nominations". Cool FM - Your Number One Hit Music Station !. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
7. Ade-Unuigbe, Adesola (2016-04-25). "BN Music: Tay Iwar's New Mixtape "Renascentia" is a Must Listen for Music Lovers!". BellaNaija. Retrieved 2024-10-28.
8. BellaNaija.com (2017-02-09). "The Song Everyone is Talking About after #SGIT3…"Equestrian Love" by Tay Iwar". BellaNaija. Retrieved 2024-10-28.
9. Nigeria, Guardian (2017-08-27). "Five New Interesting African Musicians". The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News. Retrieved 2024-10-28.
10. Native, The (2017-04-28). "A Win for Bantu: Tay Iwar is opening for Asa's Encore Concert". The NATIVE. Retrieved 2024-10-28.
11. Alake, Motolani (2019-04-15). "Tay Iwar's 'GEMINI' talks bad love affairs with great songwriting". Pulse Nigeria. Retrieved 2024-10-28.
12. "Joe Kay Focuses on Nigerian Music in This Episode of Soulection Radio - Okayplayer". www.okayafrica.com. Retrieved 2024-10-28.
13. Nwangwu, Adaora (2022-06-17). "Grammy-nominated Artiste Tay Iwar Unveils New Track 'Bad4u'". The Culture Custodian (Est. 2014.). Retrieved 2024-10-28.
14. Wynter, Courtney (2022-03-29). "WizKid Enlists Winnie Harlow In Video For "True Love" Featuring Tay Iwar & Projexx". GRM Daily. Retrieved 2024-10-28.
15. https://www.complex.com/music/a/james-keith/headie-one-the-last-
16. Duran, Anagricel (2024-06-25). "Headie One's new album 'The Last One' features Skrillex, AJ Tracey, Stormzy, Aitch and more". NME. Retrieved 2024-10-28.
17. "SYSTEM". Official Charts. 2021-08-05. Retrieved 2024-10-28.
18. Headies, The (2022-05-24). "CHECK OUT THE 15TH HEADIES NOMINEES LIST - The Headies". Retrieved 2024-10-28.
19. Nigeria, Guardian (2021-10-11). "Wizkid's "Made In Lagos" Hits One Billion Streams". The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News. Retrieved 2024-10-28.
20. Cusson, Michael (29 March 2022). "Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs". Billboard. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
21. "Wizkid's 'True Love' With Projexx, Tay Iwar Sells 100k Units In US". DancehallMag. 17 March 2022. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
22. "Wizkid feat. Tay Iwar & Projexx - True Love". RISA. Retrieved 6 June 2024.
23. "2022 Headies Full List Nominees". Vanguard News. 24 May 2022. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
24. Shumba, Ano (29 August 2022). "South African Music Awards 2022: All the winners". Music In Africa. Retrieved 10 June 2023.