When Nigerian superstar Wizkid (Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun) released Sounds from the Other Side in July 2017, it was more than just a six-track EP; it was a strategic manifesto. At the time, Wizkid was already a titan in Afrobeats, having dominated the Nigerian charts for nearly a decade. However, this project represented his most direct, focused artillery shot at the American and global mainstream market.
While it didn’t generate a “One Dance”-level solo hit, it successfully repositioned Wizkid from “African star” to global pop star . sounds from the other side wizkid
Here is a deep dive into the project that bridged the gap between Lagos and the world. To understand Sounds from the Other Side , one must look at 2016. Wizkid was featured on Drake’s global smash hit “One Dance.” That song spent ten weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, exposing Wizkid’s signature cadence to millions of listeners who had never heard Afrobeats before. While it didn’t generate a “One Dance”-level solo
For new listeners, the EP serves as the perfect entry point into Wizkid’s discography: short enough to digest in one commute, but rich enough to demonstrate why he remains one of the most influential African artists of the 21st century. Wizkid was featured on Drake’s global smash hit