In late 2019,Wizkid released the singles "Joro" and "Ghetto Love",initially teased them as promotional singles for Made in Lagos.[8]
On 6 December 2019,Wizkid's label Starboy Entertainment released the EP Soundman Vol. 1,centering mainly on Wizkid,and containing features from Chronixx,and a variety of other artists. It was cited as a marketing strategy to test the Afro-European market for Made in Lagos.[9]
Composition
Morgan Enos of The Recording Academy described Made In Lagos' musical composition as a "mix of Afrobeats and R&B".[10]Stereogum described the album's aesthetic as "R&B-focused,dancehall-reminiscent" lending itself to WizKid's "casual Auto-Tuned melodies,and a range of guests similarly thrive within the environment",defining its beats as "meticulously complex".[11]Pitchfork's writer Joey Akan commented that the album showcases a "mid-tempo production".[1]
Release and promotion
Made in Lagos was initially set to be released on October 15.[8] The album launch was later postponed until 30 October due to the Nigerian End SARS protests nationwide.[4]
Wizkid promoted Made in Lagos with his Made in Lagos Tour,which started on 10 September 2021,performing in New York City,Boston,Toronto,and Los Angeles.[7]
Singles
Wizkid released a collaboration with American singer,H.E.R.,titled "Smile",on 16 July 2020 as the album's lead single. The song made its debut at number three in the first week of launch of the UK Afrobeats Singles Chart,and was featured on Barack Obama's 2020 summer playlist.[12][13] On 17 September,Wizkid released the single "No Stress".[8]
"Essence" featuring Tems,was released as the album's fourth single on 9 April 2021. On 13 August 2021,a remix of the song,featuring Canadian singer Justin Bieber,was released.[14] The song became the highest-charting single on the Billboard Hot 100 by an African act,peaking at number nine.[15][16] "Essence" was also the first Nigerian song in history to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 and the Billboard Global 200.[17][18]
Made in Lagos received widespread acclaim for its cohesive themes,lyrics and lush production,building on criticisms on Wizkid's previous works,Sounds from the Other Side and Soundman Vol. 1.[23]
On Made in Lagos Wizkid fuses culture and globalisation,with the album containing themes of love,focus,goodwill,gratitude and grace. He implements the use of rich,local African percussions as the core of the production on Made in Lagos and explores a range of genres.[27] Joey Akan of Pitchfork stated that "Wizkid balances the formula to unite home and abroad with big pop songs that can compete across cultures and an underlying theme that embraces his roots".[1] Giving it a four star review,Kate Hutchinson of The Guardian found the album sounds slinkier and sexy,while naming it Wizkid's most sophisticated record yet.[28]Made in Lagos often features in debates of the best African albums ever;the consensus being that it was at the forefront of a revolutionary charge in the globalization of African music.
At the 27th annual South African Music Awards,Made in Lagos received a nomination for the Rest of Africa Award.[47] It also received a nomination at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards for Best Global Music Album. At the 7th annual African Entertainment Awards USA in 2021,Made in Lagos won Album Of The Year at the ceremony.[48]
The album surpassed 100 million streams across five platforms nine days after release,a rare milestone then for Afro-pop artists.[50][51]
It debuted at number 15 on the UK Albums Chart with over 4,100 album-equivalent units and number 80 on the US Billboard 200 with over 10,000 album-equivalent units.[52][53] Following the release of the deluxe edition,the album sold an additional 17,000 units in the United States,peaking at number 28 on the US Billboard 200.[54] It spent over 130 weeks on the Billboard World Albums chart making it the longest charting African project ever on the chart,and is the best selling African album of all time in the United States.[55]
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