One thing Wizkid will do is get on a track with an African pop girl. Over the years, from Tiwa Savage’s Bad to Dynamite — the bouncy Nigeria-South Africa crossover track with Tyla that is setting the tone for the summer, Wizkid has partnered with the hottest women in African pop to deliver instant classics. The African ‘It Girls’ love a Wizkid feature, and it’s not difficult to see why.
With the smooth, melodic variation of Afro-pop which he has embodied since 2017’s Sounds From The Other Side, Wizkid is definitely the “singer” of the Big 3. The explicit, soft sensuality he has embodied in recent years positions him perfectly for female collaborations; his voice blends into theirs seamlessly, and although he is rarely overshadowed on a track, his contributions never come across as jarring.
Wizkid has also long established himself as a global, Pan-African act – he has pioneered and perfected the global Afro-fusion sound that makes for the biggest international hits, with a Grammy and NAACP award to prove it. Since the “Summer of Essence”, it has become abundantly clear that any Afrobeats artists trying for the global market should look to Wizkid for a collaboration. He has consistently demonstrated the impressive ability to create a melting pot of genres – dancehall, r&b, reggaeton, pop – and a track with Wizkid has become a tried and tested way for African pop girls to widen their fanbase and perhaps also crossover into the international mainstream.
Here are 8 tracks on which Wizkid has collaborated with an African ‘It Girl’.
Essence Featuring Tems
On the chart topping, 5x platinum record, Tems and WizKid perfectly embody sexual desire, advocating a sense of reciprocity. This is a Wizkid track, but Tems’ verse comes first. She sets the pace, and he effortlessly, unhurriedly matches it; “You don’t need no other body” flows into “Strokin’ your body, baby” and between them, Tems and Wizkid maintain an intimate, sensual pace that few male Afrobeats acts would be able to pull off. No one artist plays a larger role — they both move through the song with equal dexterity, and what we get is a track that swells with rhythm and moves with syrupy … through listeners.
2 Sugar with Ayra Starr
Packed with sugary sweet melodies, Wizkid appeared to pass the baton to a new generation through his first collaboration with Mavin’s pop princess, Ayra Starr. Once again, Wizkid cedes the opening verse, and Ayra lights up the track with her fizzy, feminine presence, an audible follow-up to Tems’ career-defining showing on Essence. Where Essence was a leisurely, soulful stroll, 2 Sugar is an upbeat, melodic dance track — both genre benders, Ayra and Wizkid are almost rapping in the way they deliver their verses, feeding off of each other’s momentum to create a listening experience which although chill, encourages movement in the languid, effortless way that appeals to female listeners.
Dynamite with Tyla
Built on a bouncy bass line and syncopated drums, the Nigerian and South African music superstars blend their vocals perfectly as they trade sultry verses. On this track, we feel Wizkid’s presence before we fully hear him. He appears to test the mic, with playful whispers over the opening notes; “Banger with the rhythm, dance to the beat”. With Tyla set for a global takeover, this collaboration was in some ways, inevitable. A call and response between two artists that are well-established in their own rights, the song almost commands attention — to both artists, and to their cocky, flirtatious exchange; “Why don’t you bring it come my way?/ Hold me ‘round my waist”,“ Freeze! Arch your back.”
Gimme Dat Featuring Ayra Starr
On her second collaboration with Wizkid Ayra Starr cajoles and subtly warns her muse with sultry vocals and innuendo filled lyrics, while Wizkid delivers a breezy accompanying verse complete with his signature slow-whine, party starter flow. Produced by VybeO and Mikababeatz, Gimme Dat features a sample of Wyclef Jean and Mary J. Blige’s 911, incorporating the wistful guitar strings into a jazzy reggae beat. Wizkid is no stranger to reggae leaning beats as he has shown on tracks such as Ginger and Blessed. With this track, he helps Ayra reinvent herself — her playful appearance on 2022’s 2 Sugar is replaced by a more overtly sexual delivery, another thing which Wizkid is very familiar with.
Crazy with Seyi Shay
“You be the boss, I be the bossette”. The girls come to Wizkid not just for global impact, but for getting the local audience on their feet as well. As far back as 2014, long before Wizkid began leaning into his signature Afro-fusion sound, he still carried significant weight and a cosign from the Afrobeats heavyweight could give a track significantly more motion. Even with Seyi Shay playing more of an active vocal role, with Wizkid simply providing a catchy hook, he still blends into the track seamlessly, employing his unique ability to create music that gets women on their feet. While Seyi Shay sings about how much she loves her baby, Wizkid in response, lists the various qualities that make him want to marry her.
Bad with Tiwa Savage
Longtime collaborators, Wizkid and Tiwa Savage took turns giving their haters a strong warning on the Yoruba laced 2016 track. Tiwa opens the self-assertive anthem with an announcement; “Yeah I’m coming to cause trouble,” while Wizkid provided ad-libs in the background; “Louder now … soldier now!” egging her on, providing support for her bold declarations. His collaboration with Afropop girls goes well beyond love songs, sensual earworms, or playful flirting. On this track, Tiwa is precise, a shooter and Wizkid offers her assistance, as they both take digs at their haters, audaciously declaring their achievements while underlining their intention to do what they want even in the face of backlash.
Ma Lo with Tiwa Savage
In his collaborations with Africa’s biggest pop girls, Wizkid has left no genre unexplored. As Tiwa Savage is versatile, casually bouncing from genre to genre, so too is Wizkid. Off Tiwa’s bubblegum pop 2017 EP, came Ma Lo on which Wizkid delivers yet another effortlessly classic feature. Number 1 African Bad Girl and Starboy slid back and forth on this track which although slightly repetitive, was also instantly catchy and with the “Roboskeske, Roboske” ad-lib, captured Nigerian airwaves for months on end.
Dis Love with Tiwa Savage and SPINALL
Over Spellz’s bouncy, reggae-tinged Afrobeat production, Wizkid and Tiwa weave a smooth, flirtatious exchange, their melodies intertwining in a way that feels both intimate and dancefloor-ready. Released amidst dating rumours, the track captures the romantic sparkle that consistently emerges when Wizkid teams up with leading women in Afropop.
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