Wizkid is set to release his fourth studio project, which he titles, 'Made in Lagos', and this may just be the most important body of work in his career.
In the early hours of Tuesday, August 7, Wizkid hinted via a tweet that his 'Made in Lagos' project is scheduled to be released on October 1, 2018.
This has heightened the expectations among his faithful fans, who have been dancing to his hit singles and collaborations since the turn of the year.
Ever since he dropped his debut album, 'Superstar' in 2011, there has always been the pressure for his next projects to take it a step further, which perhaps explains why it took a three year period for him to release his sophomore project, Ayo.
Another three years passed, before he dropped the 'Sounds From The Other Side' project, but in a deviation from his excessive tinkering of his projects, Wizkid is set to release his second body of work in two years .
Here are five reasons why 'Made in Lagos' is his most important album yet
He needs it to really earn his place as a legend
music legend.
Now, for a lot of his loyal audience, Wizkid is already a musical legend and the reasons they proffer are quite valid.
If there is one artist in his generation who have proven that it is possible to live your dream, then it is Wizkid. From Ojuelegba, he has succeeded in taking his music to the world and making the global audience pay attention.
His recognitions and awards are well documented and he has also broken down barriers, performing at major concerts worldwide.
But while he ticks almost every box possible, there are a few who still hold some reservations, with their arguments laced around the quality and impact of the last two projects he has delivered.
A 'Made in Lagos' album that succeeds in achieving both commercial and critical acclaim may be the final spell that convinces all that he has earned his seat at the table of music legends.
2018 has been a year of very few albums
Let's face it, even though Nigerian music has made giant strides since the turn of the year, it has actually been a year of few and poor albums.
The mainstream has fully surrendered itself to the allure of dropping 'singles', while those who dared to go ahead with a body of work hug the E.P title instead.
Irrespective of what Wizkid chooses to call this project, the music scene needs a big bang and we are hopeful that the Starboy can actually save the day.
After the lacklustre 'Sounds From The Other Side', he needs a rebound
Not to get it twisted, his last project, 'STFOS', released over a year ago, and aimed at the global market was not in anyway a bad album, but it also was not exactly a defining one.
Pulse Music Review described the body of work as "well-crafted, one-dimensional pop dance project that is all about vibes than actual substance."
Like Ayomide Tayo, posited in his article on the impact of the project on its one year anniversary, ''The post-release marketing of SFTOS has been non-existent. While the album has a lot of strong singles in it, no single has been released since. The project has been laid dormant.''
The album may have helped the rise of his steady profile outside the continent, but a strong body of work is required at this point to sustain the movement.
The world is watching
playWizkid performing at the O2 Arena (Twitter/Wizkidayo)
Now more than ever before, Afrobeats has caught the attention of the world, and it will be great to see the poster boy of the genre deliver a body of work that becomes a cornerstone of the modern day sound and wows the many eyes that are watching and listening.
A lot of younger talents are looking forward to Wizkid for inspiration, and more than just a compilation of hit singles that pack the right vibe to make you dance, it is important he makes the project a creative expression of the level he is playing at now.
Take his place at the top ahead of Davido
playDavido and Wizkid (FortunePhotography)
Even though the duo have sheathed their swords and now look like best of buddies, there is an unspoken musical rivalry that continues to exist, moreso with Davido's album also due before the end of the year.
For every accomplishment that Wizkid has enjoyed over the past couple of years, Davido has enjoyed same.
When the latter's foray into the international waters failed with his 'Son of Mercy' EP, the popstar initiated his 'Back to Basics' back-up plan, which has seen him emerge stronger on the scene.
Wizkid has towed a similar pattern, moving on from the STFOS experiment and immediately flooding the local market with top singles like 'Manya', 'Soco' and 'Fake Love'.
There is a battle that needs to be won, even if it is just bragging rights for their fans and this project may just be the key that swings the competition in his favor.
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