Whatever happens or fails to happen for Wizard Chan in the coming months and years, he can always take pride in knowing he reached the much sought-after goal of perfection with “Earth Song.” Although he would be taking the flight back home to Nigeria without an award, his two nominations at this year’s Headies award show are validation enough for the budding artist. So is the surge of his breakout song into the top 20 of the Apple Music Nigeria Top 100 charts. But with the dust of his hit track now clearing, many will naturally wonder if Wizard Chan is here for the long run or in the final seconds of his 15 minutes of fame. Judging by his profile, safe money might be on him having many more 15-minute spells in the limelight.
Wizard Chan, born Fuayefika Maxwell, originates from Port Harcourt, the city that keeps on giving immensely talented artists. He is in the thirteenth year of a journey that started in secondary school when he wrote his first song. To date, Chan maintains that his priority has never been blowing up, which would explain the ten-year gap between the first song he wrote and the first track he released. He spent most of his extended learning curve in Accra, Ghana, where he studied at the Wisconsin University. During his service year, he finally felt ready enough to go professional, and Chan did so with two tracks in 2020, “Halo Halo” and “Truth.”
The word unique is thrown around often when describing artists, but Wizard Chan is truly different from most artists. Reggae music is the major differentiating factor for him as it influences his sound, delivery, and lifestyle. His inspiration is also not one you find every day; Wizard Chan considers himself a messenger of the Most High, a vessel for communicating instructions from God to man. That may sound far-fetched to most ears, but there’s no denying the richness of the content in his music. For example, on “Truth,” he sang about the overwhelming corruption that plagues Nigeria, while on “Earth Song,” he reflected on the divinity of womanhood. But as serious as his subject matter may be, it’s always wrapped in a padding of infectious melodies and catchy ad-libs.
It’s been nine months since the release of “Earth Song,” but Wizard Chan is still riding the wave of his smash hit. Massive co-signs from Don Jazzy and Chris Brown have helped keep the track relevant. His Headies’ nominations for “Best Alternative Song” and “Songwriter of the Year” further validate the track. The official music video was released only five days ago, ensuring the conversation around the song stretches a little longer. Chan does have a follow-up song, “HighLife”, which arrived in April. It hasn’t hit the heights of “Earth Song,” but it is by no means a bad track. It’s looking up for Wizard Chan, and rightly so because this is a talented artist who can bring a breath of fresh air to a largely monotonous industry. If that’s what you’re craving, try this brilliant new artist today.
