Wizkid’s fourth project “Made In Lagos” is finally out worldwide. Emphasis on finally because this project is one that has been teased by Wizkid for over 2 years nonstop! The second coming of Christ was the only thing that was more anticipated in Nigeria; arguably. There have been numerous announcements and statements on what the project would be like: initially there was an instance Wiz commented and said it would be an EP, another time he said it would be an album with zero features. He really made us wait patiently for this, so the questions of whether Made In Lagos was “worth the wait”, whether it was “worth the hype” were inevitably going to pop up.
While that debate rages on, what is certain is the mental space Wizkid portrays on this project. This is a man that is self-assured in his own greatness and feels zero pressure to convince anyone. He is who the world says he is. This is a man who is in a happy place and just wants to celebrate the little things in life; love, lust and good vibes. From the lyrics, to the production, to the choice of features that much is clear. He is feeling good about life and he wants to transfer that positive and relaxed energy to his listening audience.
On songs like “Reckless”, “Blessed” and “Grace” he sings from the perspective of a man who knows he occupies the throne and though grateful to be in that lofty position, does not feel challenged by those trying to usurp him. “Piece Of Me”, “Essence”, “True Love”, “Longtime”, “Sweet One” and “Smile” are songs that beautifully depict love from the emotional and physical angles. “Ginger”, “Gyrate”, “Mighty Wine”, “No Stress” and “Roma” bring in the much appreciated danceable tunes on which he celebrates the good life and lustful vices of sexual seduction.
8 of the 14 tracks on this album feature the creative input of other artistes. Due credit must be accorded to Wizkid and his team for the deft selection of guest verses and features. From shining the spotlight on up and coming talents like Tay Iwar, Tems, Terri and Projexx to making magic with fellow heavyweights like Skepta, Burna Boy, Ella Mai, H.E.R and Damian Marley he manages to create a soothing balance on every track where he enlisted help. Notably laudable is the fact that he repeatedly shrugs off the danger of being overshadowed by the brilliant performances delivered by the featured artistes and holds his own with room to spare. Ella Mai came the closest to bodying Wizkid on the magnificent song that is “Piece of Me” but ultimately his effortless melodies does the trick.
A project of this magnitude requires world class production and that is exactly what is on offer on Made In Lagos. The instrumentals showcase the very best of Afrofusion. The drums and melodies are African enough to represent Wizkid’s Nigerian origins but stay appealing enough to draw the attention of good music lovers all around the world. The mixing and mastering are, of course, of the very highest quality. All the producers knew they had to come clutch and they did exactly that.
So back to the earlier questions. Was it worth the hype? Was it worth the wait? There’s probably nothing on Earth as subjective as music but even the biggest of haters will surely enjoy this brilliant body of work, publicly or in the privacy of their rooms. A close friend and colleague joked that you have to be experiencing happiness in your heart to enjoy this album but I daresay this album will inspire happiness, even in the saddest of men. It’s really that good and it has the interesting and unique quality of getting better with every listen. So expect this to age like fine wine. All you have to do is keep an open mind, sit back and let this masterpiece littered with infectious vibes take over.
