If you ever in search of a single word to describe this personality, it will be ‘transcendent.’
Taking a cue from Afrobeat legend, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, Wizkid has been the single biggest driving force in the evolution of the music genre. While artistes like Burna Boy and Davido have made major contributions to its growth, it will be difficult to measure with the level of Wizkid’s.
This is evident in his recent collaboration with Tems which ended up being a global summer jam. ‘Essence’ was so huge that Justin Bieber asked to hop on the remix, and it in turn received loads of positive reception.
Since over a decade ago when he began his career, the artiste has hardly had a bad run. Every project of his, have been cherished hits. He is endowed with the ability to create club bangers, ‘feel good’ music, or even a blend of the two. There is indeed a sophistication to his tune, that it can scarcely be replicated or copied.
From his very first track, Wizkid has lived up to his superstar destiny and he appears to possess the super ability to create music that transcends generations and borders. In essence, 2021 would go down as the year he thoroughly demonstrated this.
A few accolades following the release of his fourth studio album; ‘Made in Lagos’ include 2 nominations at the 64th Grammy Awards, Most-streamed Nigerian artiste of all time on Spotify, with over 3.4 billion streams across all credits. The list continues with number one rating on the Billboard World Album Chart for his song ‘Essence,’ same song which also ranks as the first Nigerian song to chart on the Billboard Hot 100. Starboy as is fondly called, went on to win the MOBO Award for Best International Music, ousting the likes of Kanye West and Burna Boy, amongst many other accomplishments during the year.
When it comes to artistes who have put Nigerian music on the world map in recent times, no one has done so as much as Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun. Not only has he shown the world how awesome the Nigerian sound is, he has also made Afrobeat a very popular genre of music globally. His ability to turn an international collaboration into a global bombshell is very awe-inspiring.
Barely a year ago, his verse and chorus on the Beyonce’s hit track, ‘Black Skin Girl’ was instrumental in driving craze for the song, pushing him to earn a Grammy.
Big Wiz is arguably the biggest asset in Nigeria’s music industry, owing to his ability to create stellar songs and sustain Nigeria’s global relevance via his international collaborations and hit songs. As far as music goes, no artiste made as much impact as Wizkid, in year 2021.
Source: ynaija