Afrobeats has been on the rise over the past few years and its heavily Auto-Tuned, west African hybrid of dancehall and R&B can now be heard everywhere in mainstream pop. Wizkid was its first young breakout star, guesting on Drake’s 2016 UK funky tribute One Dance, while his last album featured collaborations with a host of US chart botherers such as Major Lazer. On his fourth album, Made in Lagos, however, he reinforces the idea that Nigerians do it better. He still has a global vision, uniting Kingston (Blessed, featuring Damian Marley), California (Smile with HER), London (Skepta, Ella Mai) and home – Essence, featuring Nigerian R&B singer Tems, is a Lauryn Hill-ish stunner, and fellow African giant Burna Boy duets on Ginger. But Wizkid’s sound here is slinkier and more sophisticated than before, with more sexy sax than a Kenny G single – thanks to some pristine production, largely from Nigerian Londoner P2J (and from promising Ghanaian beatsmith Juls on Tru Love). These are superbly crafted songs for under the sheets, wherever you are, but as Afrobeats continues to grow, Wizkid wants the world to remember where it came from and where it’s going next.
