It’s been three years since Wizkid released a full-length project that was the subject of his attention, and even more, since he started paving the way to Made In Lagos, a fourteen-track project. Made In Lagos‘s reliance on Wizkid’s evolution through a decade rife with staggering feats and his fondness for Afrobeat driven by other experimental fusions signature to his brand including his now-famous Dancehall and Afrofusion hybrid, tosses his legend potential in the mix and releases him from the clutches of mainstream demands which he has consistently ignored in recent times while reclaiming Black excellence with what counts as a genre and culture transcendent fourth studio album.
Wizkid is already considered as one of Nigeria’s greatest exports and with Made In Lagos, especially considering how highly anticipated it was, he cements his place in music history. The eminence the album carries doesn’t just stem from the reputation Wizkid has worked hard to craft over the years but the quality of music it possesses. From starter, Reckless, Wizkid is already mining in the norm but with the notable presence of arrogance and the lenience with which he delivers his self-empowering words like “I’m still a winner, winner, winner, winner. Me never let them play all my Banjo“. He begins checking all the theorists who proclaimed his end after Sounds From The Other Side while giving us rhythms and relatable lyrics to move along to. Typical Wizkid.
On Made In Lagos, Wizkid knows when to draw, to sketch, paint and scribble which is why he taps the likeliest characters for each feature and he doesn’t waste time bringing them on. Burna Boy appears on the second track, Ginger, one that’s currently being hailed as an apt follow-up to Reckless. Burna Boy lends his signature gruffness to the percussion-driven song, giving way to himself and Wizkid to harmonize and start the fire they long for in their narrative.
Skepta is his next move. The pair have collaborated in the past on Energy and so expectations on Longtime are met. The surprises are kept for songs like the Damian Marley assisted Blessed on which Wizkid goes full throttle on Reggae. His vulnerability and the synergy shared with a direct descendant of the genre he appropriates adds to the song’s sublimity.
The chemistry between himself and Ella Mai makes Piece Of Me a standout like the rest with features. He flows with Tay Iwar and Projexx on True Love, melding with the duo’s slow, sexy pace and proving to be as malleable as the sounds he produces on the album. He maintains this status quo on Essence with Tems and as he switches tempo on Terri assisted Roma, he leaves no stone unturned in showing off his adaptability and this new range defined by years traversing music industries across the world.
Sonically, Made In Lagos is no deviation from the norm for Wizkid but his consistency and even palpable desire to outdo himself and prove he’s still got it gives the fourteen-track album it’s special flavor.