Mp3bullet.ng presents Songs that solidified Wizkid status in the International music scene.
Mp3bullet.ng highlights the career-defining songs that influenced the rise of Wizkid in the International music scene.
It’s difficult to picture the Nigerian music industry and the Afrobeats movement without our favourite Starboy, Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun, better known by his stage name Wizkid.
The 30-year-old singer continues to have a significant influence on upcoming artists both in and outside of Nigeria.
The Starboy Entertainment boss has been a serial hitmaker with a rich repertoire of songs as a lead and featured artist for over ten years. Looking through his history brings back fond recollections of how much lovely music the diminutive vocalist has created over the years.
While his catalogue is impressive, there are a few songs that have shifted the course of his career, propelling him to the level of musician he is now.
There are several tracks in his music career that have either defined a new path or taken him from one rung of the success ladder to the next.
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Ojuelegba
Many people believe this song to be Wizkid’s most impactful song, and there is a lot of truth in that. The song is from his critically acclaimed album “Ayo,” which was released in 2014.
“Ojuelegba” was unlike any other song on the album since it took on a life of its own and spread well beyond the borders of his own Nigeria.
On “Ojuelegba,” the youthful zeal that surrounds Wizkid’s lyrics takes a backseat for a time. The words in this song are still among the greatest he’s written and performed.
It wasn’t long until the song grew greater than the vocalist, attracting fans from all around the world.
When Drake joined Skepta on the remix of “Ojuelegba,” it was a game-changer for Wizkid. This was the start of Starboy’s reign of global music supremacy.
One Dance
Following the global success of “Ojuelegba,” Wizkid developed a connection with Canadian rapper Drake, which resulted in their Billboard Number One collaboration “One Dance” in 2016.
This was a significant victory for the petite Nigerian musician since his name began to appear more frequently in international music conversations.
Because the Starboy was on Billboard for around 12 weeks, many people outside of Africa were aware of him and were able to listen to his songs on numerous DSPs.
Wizzy’s international career took off quickly as he became a target for Sony Music and RCA, who signed him within months of the success of “One Dance.”
Come Closer
In 2017, Wizkid enlisted Drake’s help as a featured artist on “Come Closer,” the lead single from his “Sound From The Other Side” album, without slowing down the momentum he’s established thus far.
The song was an instant hit, selling thousands of copies across the Americas. After selling over 80,000 copies in Canada in 2020, the song received a Gold certification and then a Platinum certification.
On YouTube, “Come Closer” has received over 100 million views and counting. This song not only elevated Wizkid’s career as a singer, but it also aided the expansion of Afrobeats around the world, particularly in America.
Energy (Stay Far Away)
Skepta, a Nigerian-born British rapper, collaborated with Wizkid on his 2018 single “Energy.”
When this song was first released, it became an instant smash. This collaboration was vital in order to cement Wizkid’s profile in the UK music scene, and it was a success.
“Energy” debuted at number 73 on the UK Singles Chart and spent 15 weeks at the top, peaking at number 59. The song was certified Gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) after selling over 400,000 copies in the UK.
The song produced by Sarz was a huge club anthem and it pretty much bangs even now.
Brown Skin Girl
Beyonce, the global music phenomenon and American pop queen, released the album “The Lion King: The Gift” in 2019, which featured a variety of African musicians.
The album’s standout track was “Brown Skin Girl,” which included Blue Ivy and Saint Jhn as guests.
With Wizkid on the track, “Brown Skin Girl” became a tremendous hit in this part of the world.
Wizkid has earned a slew of honours as a featured artist on BSG, including The Ashford & Simpsons Songwriter’s Award at the Soul Train Music Awards 2019, and the BET HER Award.
The big one came in March of 2021 when it took home the 63rd Grammy Award for Best Music Video earning Big Wiz his first Grammy.
Joro
When Wizkid released “Joro,” which was produced by NorthBoi, he demonstrated that he knew how to make pop tunes and club bangers.
It was an instant hit upon release, but the real deal came several months later after the song had gone viral in other countries.
Millions of videos were created in the #jorochallenge on TikTok, with celebrities like Keke Palmer and Lupita Nyong’o joining in.
It was also Wizkid’s first music video to reach the 100 million views mark, with thousands of copies sold across Europe and America.
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Essence
Wizkid released his fourth album in “Made In Lagos” in 2020 after years of postponing. While songs like the Burna Boy-assisted “Ginger“, H.E.R-assisted ‘Smile” was gained recognition that year, “Essence” which featured Tems was the money maker of the album in 2021.
Steadily the song became a Tik-Tok anthem and even had International celebrities vibing to it. It also became the first Nigerian song to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 and also earned certification plaques.
The song became a global Afrobeat Anthem that Justin Bieber had to jump on the remix. Recently the song bag a Grammy nomination in the “Best Global Music Performance.”