After over a decade of being one of Afrobeats’ go-to hit makers, Wizkid continues to expand his sound with great success. The Nigerian Grammy award-winning global star, real name Ayodeji Balogun, released his fifth studio album titled “More Love, Less Ego” on 11 November 2022. And the reviews are pouring. The 13-track record sees the 32-year-old continue to exhibit his melodic prowess.
The album follows his previous record-breaking album ‘Made In Lagos’, which give birth to the hit song “Essence” featuring Tems and Canadian singer, Justin Bieber, breaking into Billboard Hot 100 and spending fourteen weeks in the top 10, also been nominated for 64 Grammy Awards in two categories Best Global world Album & Best Performance single.
“More Love, Less Ego” opens with the slow-tempo song, ‘Money & Love’, in which Wizkid sheds the residues of his ego. In the track, he sings about having a pocket full of money and a heart full of love. The song comes with the usual hip-hop traits as the singer brags about his sexual prowess, the size of his phallus and his region with the ladies.
“Everyone fights with their ego and that’s where I’m at,” Wizkid told The Guardian UK recently about the title and his current mindset. “I’m still trying to shed my ego, like everyone else.” Wizkid released ‘More Love, Less Ego’ with the song “Bad To Me” being the lead single released on 13 September 2022, produced by P2j & Sammy Soso, under the imprint Label, RCA Records & Starboy Entertainment Ltd. Given Wizkid’s elevated status, it’s no surprise to find that ‘More Love, Less Ego’ is stacked with guests.
This album contains tracks with guest appearances from, Skilibeng, Don Toliver, Skepta, Sheansea, Afropop’s rising star Ayra Star, Naira Marley and more and is produced by P2j, Wizkid, and Sammy Soso. “More Love, Less Ego” has in entirety the following tracks: Money & Love, Balance, Bad To Me, Everyday, 2 Sugar (feat. Ayra Starr), Pressure, Plenty Loving, Deep, Flower Pads, Wow (feat. Skepta & Naira Marley), Special (feat. Don Toliver) and Frames (Who’s Gonna Know).
With several hit projects and awards, the Starboy has established himself as a household name in the global music industry. The ‘Ojuelegba’ crooner already has to his credit first four studio albums including ‘Superstar’ (2011), ‘Ayo’ (2014), ‘Sounds From The Other Side’ (2017), and ‘Made In Lagos’ (2020).
Following the release of his 5th album ‘More Love, Less Ego’, Apple Music announced that Wizkid’s live rendition of the album will be available on the platform for 3 days to stream his concert so fans all around the world can join in on enjoying his songs together. Wizkid Apple Music Live started at 9 PM on Monday, 14th November with Producer, artist, and DJ Juls opening for him with an impressive hour-long set that delivered classic music across Africa and beyond.
The Starboy graced the stage an hour later with loud cheers from fans that had come to see him perform songs from his new album. The performance was a nostalgic exploration of his discography as he rolled back the years and gave the audience a performance of some of his classic songs including ‘Soco’, ‘Caro’, ‘Don’t Dull’, ‘Ojuelegba’ to mention a few.
From ‘More Love, Less Ego’, Wizkid performed ‘Bad To Me’, ‘Money and Love’, and ‘Balance’. He also brought out Ayra Starr for their collaboration ‘2 Sugar’. Assisted by his disc jockey DJ Tunez, a live band, and backup singers, Wizkid delivered a stellar live rendition that gave the songs off his new album a refreshing feel.
The hour-long performance which took place in London was televised across the world with Apple Music subscribers able to watch the show through the App. By Wednesday November 16, he headlined his first-ever show at the prestigious Madison Square Garden in New York, and his Apple Music Live performance offered a glimpse. He is getting set for a super-performance at the American Music Awards on Nov. 20, where he is nominated for two awards.