2011 - Debut Studio Album Superstar
In 2011, Wizkid burst onto the scene releasing his debut studio album Superstar. The album moulded together elements of dancehall, reggae and R&B which were bound together by the overarching sonic world of Afrobets. On the record, Wizkid manifested starting from the bottom and making it all the way to the top, a theme which is prominent throughout his career which ultimately comes to fruition. He reflects on the hardships he has endured to get to his position at the time. The record won Best Album of the Year at the 2012 Nigerian Entertainment Awards and sold over 5 million copies in 2011-2012.
2016 - Wizkid Features on Drake’s One Dance
In 2016, Wizkid’s already commercial stardom went to a whole new level, featuring on smash hit track One Dance alongside Drake. The track featured on Drake’s fourth studio album and saw Drake totally immerse himself in the world of dancehall and afrobeats alongside one of its most prestigious creatives. The track reached number one in 15 counties including Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, New Zealand, Switzerland, the UK and the United states. It topped the Billboard Hot 100 Charts for 10 weeks. Wizkid became the first Nigerian artist to top the Billboard top 100 and it was the second dancehall song to ever top the chart. The track was the undisputed song of the year in 2016.
2018 & 2019 - A Pair of Number 1s
The momentum did not slow down in 2018 and 2019, with Wizkid achieving two number 1 tracks on the Billboard World Digital Song Sales Chart. He featured on Normani & Calvin Harris’ joint EP on the track Checklist. The track is an undisputed dance floor warmer, tapping into the distinct sonic palettes of the trio of artists to create a track that is as danceable as it is deeply infectious. If his collaborative alumni wasn’t strong enough, in 2019 he featured on Brown Skin Girl alongside Beyoncé and Saint Jhn. The track was featured on the soundtrack album The Lion King: The Gift which was curated by Queen B. The track was awarded the Soul Train Music Award for The Ashford & Simpsons Songwriter's Award and the BET HER Award. The track also won the GRAMMY Award for Best Music Video.
2020 - Made In Lagos - Essence becomes first Nigerian Song on the Billboard Hot 100.
In 2020, Wizkid released his fourth studio album Made In Lagos, which broke records and made history. The album’s lead single Essence with Tems was the highest charting single on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart by a lead African Act, peaking at Number 9. It also was the first Nigerian song to chart on the Billboard Hot 100. The album also broke several African streaming records, being the first African record to land on the Spotify Global Album chart in it’s first week, surpassing 100 million streams across all platforms nine days after its release. The album received significant critical support, receiving a nomination at the Grammy Awards for Best Global Music Album. Following the album release, Wizkid became the most streamed Nigerian artist of all time, with over 3 billion streams.
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2022 - Wizkid Releases More Love Less Ego
Now well and truly at the peak of his career, Wizkid has released his highly anticipated new album More Love Less Ego. The album is his most personally revealing record yet, perfectly balancing intimate bars and vocals with bouncing beats, swirling rhythms, moody synths and beautiful musicality. It features the likes of Ayra Starr, Skillibeng, Shenseea, Skepta, Don Toliver and Naira Marley to create a wholistic picture of the maestro’s sonic world and its accompanying dominance.
With the album, he refines the formula he used on Made In Lagos, exercising and showcasing his evolution in penmanship, one that was inspired upon reflecting on his musical and artistic legacy. In an interview with the Guardian, he states that, “Alongside managing my ego, one other aim for this new chapter is to live forever. I recently went to see Bob Marley’s musical, ‘Get Up, Stand Up!’ I was like, ‘Yo, we’re watching a Bob Marley play, and this guy died decades ago’.
“Bob Marley did so much at a young age I didn’t even know that he died at 36. It just reaffirms what I do, and I have to keep taking this to the highest heights. Because I know one day, they are definitely going to create a play about me.”
He’s right, More Love Less Ego will live in the memory of his fans forever. It’s title reveals Wizkid’s conscious battle with his ego, one that balances the success that he manifested back in 2011 with his debut album Superstar as well as his personal growth as a human, one where he attempts to shed his ego. While Ayo Balogun treats Wizkid as if it’s a business, More Love Less Ego strays closer to the love tails of Balogun than it does the club dominating, love making music of his past. More Love Less Ego is driven by legacy rather than commercial metrics and while not mutually exclusive it’s clear that Wizkid wants to live forever. If not physically, then definitely through his music.
