The Nigerian Afrobeats star, Wizkid, has become one of the most well-known musicians from the African continent to the entire world.
The song Ojuelegba is regarded as a masterpiece with a wonderful flow and danceable beat. Following the release of his Made in Lagos album during the Lockdown period in 2020, Wizkid said he has more up his sleeve.
Wizkid’s album Made In Lagos featured 14 tracks with A-list artists like Burna Boy, Damian Marley, and H.E.R., but his tune “Essence” with young Nigerian singer Tems stood out and performed substantially better than those with A-list performers.
“Essence” was the 11th track from Wizkid’s fourth studio album and was released in October 2020. The song was recorded during the lockdown in early 2020, and according to rumours, Tems and Wizkid had only met twice before.
Tems would later explain in an interview with RollingStone that the original freestyle’s title was “time is of the essence.”
P2J and Legendury Beatz produced Essence, which was co-written by Wizkid, Tems, Uzezi Oniko, Okiemute Oniko, and Richard Isong.
In the song, Wizkid and Tems express their passion for each other. This song received such positive feedback that it became the first Nigerian song to chart on both the Billboard Hot 100 and the Billboard Global 200.
Essence had a music video shot in Accra, Ghana on April 9, 2021, which increased the song’s popularity.
After debuting at No. 82 in July, Wizkid became the first Nigerian artist to have a record on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, rising to No. 70 and No. 67 in the same month.
The song’s remix, which featured Canadian singer Justin Bieber, was released on August 13th, boosting the song’s popularity even further.
In August, Essence reached the top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, becoming the most shazammed song in the United States. Essence has also been dubbed the summer song.
Essence is now ranked No. 13 on the Billboard 100 and No. 1 on the Billboard R&B chart, indicating that Wizkid has a number one single in the United States.
Essence is likely to win a Grammy in 2021 if all other factors remain constant.
Stream ‘Made In Lagos’ Below:
