When Sony Music Entertainment offered Wizkid
a deal in 2016, after his exploits with Drake,
Nigerians celebrated wildly.
For a man so diminutive, Starboy is shouldering
the hopes of an entire continent on those lean
shoulders. To some, he is Africa’s first global
pop superstar.
To others, he represents a black messiah, the
second coming of Fela Kuti, who will grab our
traditional pop sounds by the reins and ride it
to global attention and dominance.
But his project “Sounds From The Other Side”
which carries his symbolic push through the
continent, interestingly was not crafted for
Nigerians. Here are reasons why.
1. Sound Structure
Wizkid has conquered Africa, and his deal with
Sony is engineered towards exploiting his
artistry and cultural relevance to new markets.
Taking money from Sony means relinquishing
full creative control of his recording process,
and that’s what happened.
The sounds on the projected reflected his global
party ambitions. Wizkid turns this project into a
meeting point for numerous dance styles,
getting a dancehall assist from Major Lazer on
“Naughty Ride,” bringing in Chris Brown for the
reggaeton-inflected “African Bad Gyal” and
hooking back up with Drake for the sensual
‘Come Closer.’
With the exception of some Afrobeat cuts,
nothing was made for Nigeria.
2. Press
During the build-up to the release of the project,
Wizkid hopped around the US and the UK
granting interviews to promote the project.
Through London, New York and Los Angeles,
Wizkid ran through the press circuits of these
cities, offering his opinion as a commodity for
the press. He sought amplification in these
cities but did nothing in Nigeria.
Instead, the media in his home country relied
on the content released from other cities to
provide local coverage.
3. Marketing
To launch the album, Wizkid held two concerts.
One in London, another in New York and zero in
Lagos. Just like the roll-out plan dictated by
his major label handlers at RCA Records stated,
the aim was for him to achieve amplification in
these major cities, with the view of selling
there.
Africa would support no matter what, but that
was not in their plan. Promotions for the
project was targeted to these cities, with
billboard ad spaces bought.
None of these happened in Nigeria.
4. Sales
All of Wizkid’s sales for the project has been
targeted at Europe, America and Australia. This
is because the Sony is selling his music via
global distribution channels.
Sounds From The Other Side is readily available
on global streaming platforms such as Apple
Music, Tidal, Deezer, Spotify and others.
In Nigeria, it could not find its way to local
platforms such as Music Plus, and Cloud 9. To
be fair, Nigerians can access a majority of these
platforms to enjoy the music, but not selling it
locally is an indicator that perhaps, he didn’t
make it for you?
5. Promotion
Which local media house can authoritatively say
Wizkid’s new material has been plugged into
their organisation using the right channels.
How many times have you heard any music
from “Sounds From The Other Side” on local
radio? Not much.
a deal in 2016, after his exploits with Drake,
Nigerians celebrated wildly.
For a man so diminutive, Starboy is shouldering
the hopes of an entire continent on those lean
shoulders. To some, he is Africa’s first global
pop superstar.
To others, he represents a black messiah, the
second coming of Fela Kuti, who will grab our
traditional pop sounds by the reins and ride it
to global attention and dominance.
But his project “Sounds From The Other Side”
which carries his symbolic push through the
continent, interestingly was not crafted for
Nigerians. Here are reasons why.
1. Sound Structure
Wizkid has conquered Africa, and his deal with
Sony is engineered towards exploiting his
artistry and cultural relevance to new markets.
Taking money from Sony means relinquishing
full creative control of his recording process,
and that’s what happened.
The sounds on the projected reflected his global
party ambitions. Wizkid turns this project into a
meeting point for numerous dance styles,
getting a dancehall assist from Major Lazer on
“Naughty Ride,” bringing in Chris Brown for the
reggaeton-inflected “African Bad Gyal” and
hooking back up with Drake for the sensual
‘Come Closer.’
With the exception of some Afrobeat cuts,
nothing was made for Nigeria.
2. Press
During the build-up to the release of the project,
Wizkid hopped around the US and the UK
granting interviews to promote the project.
Through London, New York and Los Angeles,
Wizkid ran through the press circuits of these
cities, offering his opinion as a commodity for
the press. He sought amplification in these
cities but did nothing in Nigeria.
Instead, the media in his home country relied
on the content released from other cities to
provide local coverage.
3. Marketing
To launch the album, Wizkid held two concerts.
One in London, another in New York and zero in
Lagos. Just like the roll-out plan dictated by
his major label handlers at RCA Records stated,
the aim was for him to achieve amplification in
these major cities, with the view of selling
there.
Africa would support no matter what, but that
was not in their plan. Promotions for the
project was targeted to these cities, with
billboard ad spaces bought.
None of these happened in Nigeria.
4. Sales
All of Wizkid’s sales for the project has been
targeted at Europe, America and Australia. This
is because the Sony is selling his music via
global distribution channels.
Sounds From The Other Side is readily available
on global streaming platforms such as Apple
Music, Tidal, Deezer, Spotify and others.
In Nigeria, it could not find its way to local
platforms such as Music Plus, and Cloud 9. To
be fair, Nigerians can access a majority of these
platforms to enjoy the music, but not selling it
locally is an indicator that perhaps, he didn’t
make it for you?
5. Promotion
Which local media house can authoritatively say
Wizkid’s new material has been plugged into
their organisation using the right channels.
How many times have you heard any music
from “Sounds From The Other Side” on local
radio? Not much.
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