THE OLD WIZKID AND THE PRESENT DAY SOUNDMAN

Do Nigerians really appreciate what they crave?

The majority were of the opinion that the song just wasn't it as it lacked the vibe that the present day Wizkid brings,and that got me wondering if Nigerians really appreciate what they crave - Akon ft Wizkid, Escape.

When it comes to music,ardent fans tend to be addicted to the very qualities that attracted them in the first instance and in Wizkid's case many would say his charisma, lyrical dexterity or the undeniable energy he brings into any song was what they fell for. For well over 10 years,wizkid has been on several projects, released chart topping songs,been featured by the biggest Stars around the world and has really increased in fame but a huge percentage of music lovers especially back home in Nigeria are of the opinion that the old version of wizkid is way better than the present day soundman we see and I keep asking,

'who exactly is the old WIZKID?

What qualities of wizkid has deteriorated over the years?

What charm of his disappeared?

What was the career span of the old WIZKID?🤷🏽‍♂️

Cos' in most discussions,wizkid is potrayed as an outdated entity who presently is trying so hard to remain relevant which is completely UNTRUE.I took note of listeners remarks especially people who do not identify as fans of his and it dawned on me that the old wizkid based on comments of listeners is the wizkid before the 'Sounds from the other side era'(SFTOS)

Prior to SFTOS era, wizkid had released two studio albums Ayo & Superstar and had featured on well over 50 songs which means listeners have enough wizkid content to tell what he sounded like,and give a concise description of his artistic abilities. He carved a niche for himself,his verses came with this energy those before him could hardly give out. Every single time he gave a new content,he outdid his previous effort,he had videos for most of his singles,found his way into blog pages with his many controversies and he could easily deep dive in the music scene. His days as an upcoming act were almost invisible as he became a superstar almost as soon as he was introduced by Banky W his former boss.

Wizkid released SFTOS and it became wizkid's least appreciated project. Though his best selling till date with well over 150million Spotify streams and amazing YouTube figures,the acceptance just doesn't Concord with his status as Afrobeats biggest act especially back home in Nigeria. The project obviously introduced him to a wider audience internationally as originally intended by the star but back home,SFTOS received heavy criticism by listeners and even renowned music journalist who run some of the most popular blogs,with many faulting the lyrical depth and vibes the project gave as they termed it 'too foreign' . Undeniably, a lot changed after SFTOS as we started seeing a more withdrawn and highly private wizkid,less videos, he wasted potential hit songs and he stopped giving most of his outputs the needed promotions,majority were of the opinion that he got lazy and has allowed his many achievements cloud his abilities.

Constructive criticism precipitates wisdom obviously and i am sure from an unbiased perspective even his hardest fans can tell that somethings changed in Wizkid's artistry.

Fast forward to 2019 when Wizkid was featured on Beyonce's Lion King album and he alongside Saint Jhn & Blue Ivy did wonders on Brown Skin Girl,high praises flew in from every corner of the country and continent at large with most people commending Soundman's lyrical depth and impeccable vocals on that song (the same lyrical depth,vibe and vocals they heavily criticised in SFTOS and demanded for some local flavors 🙄🙄). Wizkid being a malleable artiste decided to go back to basics and he released official singles under the Sony RCA imprint and some as a guest artiste under his own starboy imprint. Songs like Fever,Master groove,Soco, Ghetto Love and most recently Joro were delivered by the starboy. Although the follow up singles were eventually accepted,they met very heavy criticism on release as most people still condemned Wizkid's lyrics and vibe on each song (same content that was actually demanded when he decided to become Shakespeare with the pen on SFTOS 🙄).

What is going on?What do you people really want?I kept asking rhetorically.🤦🏼‍♂️

Growth is an endlessly iterative process and when it comes to music,your abilities should never be confined to your comfort zone alone. The biggest Stars in the world presently all evolved at certain points of their careers. Folks like Drake, Rihanna, Pharell,Kanye ,Gambino,Beyonce have all outstretched their arts as they chose to diversify at some point and that is exactly what I see Wizkid doing.

Wizkid is a victim of his own success to be honest as he raised that bar so high for himself and now nobody expects the bare minimum from Daddy Yo! Everyone expects him to outdo whatever he thinks he has previously achieved. When it comes to wizkid,the problem comes more from the his day one fans as most of them are stuck on the monotonous Wizkid who did basically Pop and Afrobeats. Wizkid's present qualities are more admirable. He is more versatile as he can be seen experimenting across diverse genres and sounds. He has this sense of adventure with his sound and he can now easily adapt to new musical trends without necessarily having to jeopardize his original signature style. He has become more clear sighted. Wizkid is on a journey of self reinvention as he seeks a better place for his Craft.Trap,amapiano,caribbean,Grime? Name it!!He has that range now and music is in a more comfortable zone and Y'all should follow!

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