Tay Iwar | |||||||||||
Birth Name: | Austin Iornongu Iwar | ||||||||||
Birth Date: | 9 June 1997 | ||||||||||
Birth Place: | Marina, Lagos Island | ||||||||||
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Austin Iornongu Iwar Jnr[1] (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,[2] [3] 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,[4] 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 Made in Lagos deluxe studio album, was nominated at the Grammy and earned him, a special recognition from The Recording Academy.[5]
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.
On 22 April 2016, he released a seven-track ep titled Renascentia, featuring Sute Iwar.[6] In 2017, "Equestrian Love" from the extended play Renascentia was on the soundtrack list of Skinny Girl in Transit season 3.[7] Shortly after the premiere of Skinny Girl in Transit season 3 in February, "Equestrian Love" gained popularity[8] and began trending on Twitter, shortly after M.I posted the song, of the moment. On 29 April 2017, he opens for Aṣa, at Encore "Live In Lagos" Concert 2017 at Eko Convention Center in Lagos.[9]
The album features guess appearance from Cruel Santino, Preyé, Odunsi (The Engine), and Suté Iwar.[10] "Utero" from the album, earned him a nomination for Best Vocal Performance (Male) at the 14th edition of The Headies. On 13 April 2019, "Diamond", and "Keeps" from GEMINI, studio album was aired on Soulection radio.[11] [12] In 2020, he featured on Wizkid Made in Lagos album, on "True Love", with Projexx.
Tay earned his first Grammy nomination for his feature on True Love.
On 29 March 2022, Wizkid released the music video for "True Love", featuring Tay Iwar, and Projexx.[13] On 17 June 022, he released "Bad4u" with its music video released on 19 June 2022.[14] In 2023, Iwar released "Healing", as the first single off his EP Summer Breeze.[15] On 3 March 2023, he released the music video for "Healing".[16] On 11 May 2023, Iwar released "Undercover Lover", as the second single off his debut EP Summer Breeze.[17]
On 8 June 2023, Iwar released "Summer Breeze" featuring Juls,[18] as the third single off his debut EP Summer Breeze. Following the release of his single, "Summer Breeze" was later supported with the release of his fifth debut extended play Summer Breeze, released on 9 June 2023, through CoolSweat.The debut EP features guest appearances from the Ghanaian music producer Juls, Nigerian singer Twelve XII, American rapper IDK, with British rappers Knucks, and Kojey Radical.[19]
Mixtape details | ||
Passport |
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Album details | ||
GEMINI |
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Year | Peak chart positions | Album | Sales | Certifications | ||
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US Afrobeats | ||||||
"True Love" (Wizkid featuring Tay Iwar & Projexx) | 2020 | 46[20] | Made in Lagos |
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Year | Event | Prize | Recipient | Result |
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2014 | Nigerian Teens Choice Awards | Choice Mixtape/EP | Passport | |
2015 | ||||
2020 | The Headies | Best Vocal Performance (Male) | Tay Iwar for "Utero" | |
2022 | Grammy Awards | Special Recognition | Tay Iwar for (Made in Lagos (Deluxe) by Wizkid) | |
The Headies | Best Vocal Performance (Male) | Tay Iwar for "Peaking"[23] | ||
South African Music Awards | Rest of Africa Artist | Tay Iwar for Love and Isolation[24] |