The Steady Decline Of Wizkid

You don’t need to be fashion savvy to know that flip flops are not the foot-wear to be associated with anything serious. Flops are often linked with being laid-back, lazy or generally not having your shit together. The same thing could be said of Wizkid’s music.

The steady rise of Wizkid over the past three 3 years has been based mostly off two things.

Firstly, he was one of the first in the renaissance of his generation in Nigerian music. Secondly, he had a brilliant debut album. Ever since, the singer has voiced his way into our hearts with numbers that range from Afrobeats to trap and even the nether regions of hip-hop. His fans love him, he is world renowned and has remained close to his origins.

Any signs of decline for Wizkid have been grossly exaggerated. Although he has remained at the top of his game, some of his most recent singles have been met with lukewarm responses because frankly at this stage, fans expect more than just another Wizkid song.

At least we believe he can be better.

Since the release of his debut album,Superstar which showed signs of  his versatility, skill and depth, Wizkid has plunged his music into a pit of unseriousness and laziness. His style has remained the same but the music has become bland in content, meaning and purpose. The same lyrics about the vastness of his wealth and his love for the female buttocks have been repeated over countless  singles. Wizkid also exemplifies the depths of his laziness by sometimes ad-libbing  meaningless jargon on guest features.

Wiz already has a sustaining brand. His forthcoming  2016 album has been speculated to be the Starboy’s long awaited cross-over into the international market. This will make him the first person to do it properly since Fela. His latest releases however, do not show any signs he is preparing for his music to be taken anywhere outside Nigeria. The production on these songs so far may be excellent, but Wizkid drags the entire song into mediocrity the moment he opens his mouth.

Gems like Jaiye Jaiye andOjuelegba have stood out because they play like a deliberate attempt by the Starboy to make timeless music. The music, sound and feel are a deviation from the Wiz that has released the same vague I’ve got too much money/ Shake your Nyansh songs over and over again just to remain on our playlists. So Why has Wiz refused to stick with a creative form dedicated to making good music? Despite his most recent style of jollof music, the power of the Wizkid brand has sustained these songs enough to get airplay.

Even flip-flops have their days and this also applies for Wizkid’s music. The bigger picture however, is in the legacy he hopes to build for himself.  The next few years will be crucial to the makings of his legend status. Wizkid should be taking his music more seriously at this point in his career.

No one wants to listen to just another Wizkid song.