What the record is and where it came from
Wizkid’s fourth studio album. Released 30 October 2020 after postponement from 15 October due to the End SARS protests.
How it sounds, and how it was made
Mid-tempo production. Rich, local African percussions form the core. Casually Auto-Tuned melodies. Meticulously complex beats. R&B-focused, dancehall-reminiscent aesthetic. A fusion of Afrobeats and R&B.
What lands
The percussive core lands first — layered shakers, talking drums, hand-played patterns that breathe with space. ‘Essence’ lands as a slow-burn invitation, not a climax.
What does not
It does not chase high energy or maximalist arrangements. It avoids fast tempos, sparse minimalism, or genre-purist rigidity.
The ideas inside it
Love, focus, goodwill, gratitude, grace. A balance between cultural rootedness and global pop appeal.
Who should hear it, and who should not
People who listen to rhythm before melody. Those tired of either ‘world music’ exoticism or homogenised pop. Not for listeners who need lyrical density or instrumental virtuosity as the main event.
Is it worth your time
Yes — if you want pop that moves without rushing, grounded in West African rhythm but built for global rooms.
