Wizkid: Everything you should understand about the ‘Essence’ song
Nigerian global performer Ayo Balogun, widely recognized as Wizkid, has emerged as one of the most celebrated vocalists from Africa to an international audience.
For numerous ardent admirers of Wizkid, his track Ojuelegba is regarded as a classic that brings forth an enchanting rhythm and an infectious beat. Yet, it became evident that Wizkid had even more in store after the launch of his Made In Lagos album, unveiled during the lockdown in 2020.
Made In Lagos featured 14 songs, with Wizkid collaborating with major artists such as Burna Boy, Damian Marley, and H.E.R., but notably his song “Essence,” featuring the emerging Nigerian singer Tems, has distinguished itself and achieved remarkable success compared to those featuring A-list stars.
For those unaware, “Essence” was launched in October 2020 and served as the 11th track on Wizkid’s fourth studio album.
The track was crafted during the pandemic’s early days in 2020, and reports indicate that Tems and Wizkid had met only twice.
Tems would later disclose in an interview with RollingStone that “time is of the essence” was part of the title in the original freestyle.
Essence was crafted by P2J and Legendury Beatz while Wizkid, Tems, Uzezi Oniko, Okiemute Oniko, and Richard Isong co-authored the song.
Wizkid and Tems articulated their feelings for each other through the song. This track was so well received that it became the first Nigerian song in history to ascend the Billboard Hot 100 and the Billboard Global 200.
On April 9, 2021, a music video for Essence was filmed in Accra, Ghana, which enhanced the song’s visibility further.
Essence has emerged as a track that would position Wizkid as the first Nigerian artist to have a song on the Billboard Hot 100 chart after it entered the chart at No. 82 in July; it would eventually climb to No. 70 and then No. 67 in the same month.
On August 13, a remix of the song featuring Canadian singer Justin Bieber was introduced, further elevating the song’s popularity.
Essence later broke into the top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart in August and also became the most Shazamed track in the United States. Essence has also been declared the song of the summer.
As of September, Essence stands at No. 13 on Billboard 100, and ranks No. 1 on the Billboard R&B chart, indicating that Wizkid holds a number-one hit in the United States of America.
All factors considered, Essence is anticipated to secure a Grammy in 2021.
