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SFTOS @5: How Wizkid changed the game with “Sounds from the Other Side”
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The Essence of Wizkid’s Sound: 5 best songs from Sounds from the Other Side album
On the 14th of July, Wizkid dropped “Sounds from the Other Side“, his third and most underrated studio album.
In 2017, there was tangible concern about Wizkid’s career trajectory. T
he world had become Starboy’s domain following the massive success of “One Dance,” the Drake-headlining chart-topper, and a landmark major label deal in the making. In a typical Nigerian manner, we wondered what would come next.
Wizkid had a significant challenge. On the one hand, he needed to live up to the expectations and present himself in a way that would appeal to audiences all over the world.
On the other hand, he was also trying to please us, the home crowd that had propelled him to international fame.
Having established himself as the leading voice in African pop music with his legendary first album, “Superstar,” and a slew of subsequent hit singles, Wizkid’s sophomore album, “Ayo,” was not well received.
It received harsh criticism for lacking imagination, with reviewers highlighting the lack of depth and praising the uplifting song “Ojuelegba” as the album’s primary saving grace.
However, the album managed to side-step the much dreaded sophomore slump thanks to hits like “Jaiye Jaiye”, “In My Bed” and “Show you the Money”.
Wizkid’s third project, “Sounds from the Other Side,” followed an experimental path, and it received a similar response to his previous album.
Wizkid broadened the scope of his musical inspirations, which include highlife, reggae, modern, and electronic dance music.
He refined the alchemy and collaborated with a wide spectrum of strong hitters to deliver a well-combined blend.
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Years later, Wizkid added to his discography with an EP, “Soundman Vol 1” and a fourth album, “Made In Lagos”.
“Made in Lagos” was a better project than SFTOS but it built on the foundation laid on SFTOS.
In 2022, SFTOS clocks 5 years and to celebrate the moment, Mp3bullet.ng compiles a list of 5 songs from the project to put on replay.
Sweet Love
“Sweet Love” opens with a guitar thumping amid shakers and wooden drums.
The arrangement is changed with a drum roll and a bass guitar humming beautifully through the set piece as Wizkid bellows ‘All I Need Is One Love.’
Although the sway is not explicitly stated, the lure is melody, and the charm is refinement, as is typical of African music, even when the themes repeat themselves.
Wiz expertly combines the two, using Bob Marley’s notorious appeal for world peace for conceited self-aggrandizement in a way that only Baba Nla can.
Wiz moves through the song with glee the entire time, producing a feel-good tune that is designed for sipping a great pina colada someplace in Lagos Island.
The sound of this song is unlike anything else on the album.
African Bad Gyal
With a raucous beat to work with, WizKid shines bright on this song and proves to be the badass we all know and love.
Chris Brown delivers these powerful vocals to complement the loud music, matching (and possibly surpassing) the energy of WizKids. You were mistaken if you believed Chris would have trouble capturing the authentic Nigerian vibe of the song.
One for Me
On ‘One For Me’, the self-proclaimed StarBoy recruited American rapper Ty Dolla Sign.
In this song, Ty channels his classic R&B persona and sounds just like the lead singer of an old-school R&B band. Since he is in charge of creating the chorus for this song, he made care to create something unforgettable.
Throughout this song, WizKid sounds like he is celebrating as he tells his sweetheart that she makes him incredibly happy.
Since Wiz usually writes his own songs, it sounds really good to hear him this time around sort of taking on the role of the guy getting set up.
Naughty Ride
The tenderness of “Naughty Ride” makes it suitable for playing in a variety of situations. The song has a fantastic rhythm and is quite addictive to listen to.
This song has a lot of Naija swagger, but it also has components that make one think of a great R&B song.
More than anything, this song demonstrates WizKids’ capacity to combine a variety of musical genres to produce a cohesive sound.
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Come Closer
This is not just the best song on the album, but it is also one of the best songs of 2017.
The way Wiz moves through the Dance-hall-inspired composition “Come Closer” with such a carefree disposition gives the impression that there were positive feelings present throughout the entire recording process.
The cadence he uses in his verses is one of the song’s strong points, as he effortlessly convinces his lady of his superstar status.
Drake was not necessary for this song, but the good news is that he did not in any way overshadow Wizkid. This is ‘Controlla’ Drake, so people will find his part very enjoyable.