GRAMMY-winning Nigerian superstar Wizkid delivered a show-stopping performance at the British Fashion Awards, held at the Royal Albert Hall in London.
Fresh off his 2025 Grammy nomination and the release of his record-breaking album Morayo, which set a new streaming milestone on Spotify, Wizkid captivated the audience with his hit single “Troubled Mind.”
His stylish Moncler ensemble made the performance even more memorable. It featured an all-black look with a fitted top, baggy sweats, platform boots, and a backward cap.
Wizkid is definitely making his mother smile down on him from above with his new album, Morayo. The Lagos, Nigeria Afrobeats technician had openly dedicated this sixth studio effort to Jane Morayo Balogun. His special matriarch tragically passed away in August 2023, so it’s clear that Wizkid wanted to get his feelings and emotions out to his fans and the world ASAP. However, the fairly quick turnaround doesn’t detract from the album’s quality and dense curation one bit. In fact, it’s one of his more diverse tracklists to date.
He’s pushing all of the right sonic buttons, bringing so many different flavors of African music to the 16 tracks. Because of this, it’s an emotional rollercoaster, but in a good way. There are blissful energetic moments, in addition to sobering cuts about love and his mother. The closer “Pray” hears him thank Morayo for her unwavering belief in her son to become an unmistakable and unmovable force in his lane. “Mama call me Ayo Balogun, they can never find another you.” Those words couldn’t be any truer, because the project is already doing some incredible numbers. According to Legit, since its release, it’s broken the record for most first-day streams on Spotify Nigeria with over 12.2 million. That was held by fellow Nigerian Asake, who raked in over 5.88 million in one day with Lungu Boy back in August.
Grammy Award-winning Nigerian superstar Wizkid has unveiled his sixth studio album, Morayo, via Starboy/Sony Music International/RCA Records. The album is deeply personal to Wizkid, as it serves as a tribute to his late mother, with the Yoruba word Morayo meaning “I see joy.”
Ahead of the album’s release, Wizkid dropped the hit singles “Piece of My Heart” featuring Brent Faiyaz and “Kese (Dance),” both of which broke records as the most streamed songs in Nigerian Spotify history in a single day. Morayo follows Wizkid’s fifth studio album, More Love, Less Ego, released in 2022, which saw major milestones including a historic Apple Music Live performance and his first-ever show at Madison Square Garden in New York.
One of the modern fixtures in African music is back with a new vibe and it’s extremely intoxicating. We are of course talking about Wizkid, who has a new single out this week, “Kese (Dance).” The title is what you will be doing plenty of once you press play on this and it’s more of a loose party anthem compared to its counterpart. That would be “Piece of My Heart” featuring Brent Faiyaz, which is a more multi-faceted listening experience. It’s certainly got some groove to it, but it’s more lowkey and features a break in the action halfway through and becomes an alternative R&B ballad.
Conversely, “Kese (Dance)” is a nonstop Afrobeats bop. On the three minute single, Wizkid is just looking to have a good time and dance the night away. “Blow some trees, make me feel alright / I no fit lie, man, I’m wasted / And I’m feeling reckless,” he effortlessly croons. Both of these are tracks are here for an exciting reason, as Wizkid is getting ready to drop his sixth studio album next Friday, November 22. Morayo, which means “I see joy,” will be his first project since 2022’s More Love, Less Ego. Check out “Kese (Dance)” in the meantime, with the link below.
So, tell me what you wanna do tonight? You no the party no go make sense, if we never dey there, we make the party come alive We turn the O2 to O3, má lọ bé si italawa So baby, tell me why you wanna Shake body make you do as you like Na steady we dey blow the cana
Grammy-winning Nigerian superstar Wizkid has dropped his latest single, “Kese (Dance),” via Starboy/Sony Music International/RCA Records. Accompanied by striking artwork from acclaimed photographer Gabriel Moses, the image showcases Wizkid in a shadowy, moody setting, offering a glimpse into the themes of his forthcoming album. Moses’ signature use of rich lighting and emotional nuance elevates the visual narrative. “Kese (Dance)” marks the start of an exciting new chapter for Wizkid, blending his signature sound with fresh, innovative elements.
Nigerian superstar Wizkid has returned triumphantly by releasing his new single “Piece of My Heart,” featuring Brent Faiyaz. The track, available now via Starboy/Sony Music International/RCA Records, is accompanied by a visually stunning official video directed by Lonewolf. Set in the picturesque Chateau de Neuville in France, the video showcases the duo enjoying a lavish lifestyle, from a mansion to a private jet party.
“Piece of My Heart” will be included on Wizkid’s highly anticipated sixth studio album, Morayo, scheduled for release on November 22. This deeply personal project is a tribute to Wizkid’s late mother, with the Yoruba word “MORAYO” meaning “I see joy.”
The single’s release follows Wizkid’s performance at the BOF 500 Gala and a stylish appearance at Paris Fashion Week, where he and Brent Faiyaz attended the iconic Chanel show. Wizkid hosted an intimate Ladies Only party in London to further celebrate the new music, giving select fans an exclusive first listen of “Piece of My Heart.”
Wizkid is in album mode, as the Nigerian star promised his next album Morayo is on the way, but the upcoming campaign hasn’t stopped the singer from lashing out at a fellow afrobeats star. Over the past day, Wizkid has sent out several tweets directed at Davido, starting with one that read, “P*ssy boys dropping mids again! [heart and eagle emoji].” That post came a short time after Davido took to social media to tease an upcoming song. Just in case you’re not too sure that Wizkid’s tweet was directed at Davido, Wizkid made his feelings about Davido clear in later posts.
“I don’t beef wack n****s! We all know he’s wack! No talent! [eagle emoji],” Wizkid wrote in response to fan who said, “So if you no beef @davido your song won’t sell ??” Wizkid also addressed a recent interaction between him and Davido at a club, writing, “Want what? He looks for me everywhere I go like a fan boy he his! This was an event for one of my Dj’s Skyla in Lagos! We no invite dem!” With all that being said, why does Wizkid have been with Davido?
Why Does Wizkid Have Beef With Davido?
Both Davido and Wizkid have had issues with each other for a decade now. Back in 2014, sent out a tweet that read, “I already killed NY!! London 26th Sept!! Manchester 28th sept!!! Big surprise!! Still proper shows!! proper venues!!! #f*ckboysuckad*ck!!” Many believed the tweet was directed at Davido, and though Wizkid denied it in an interview with radio host Olisa Dibua, Davido later said that he felt that the tweet was directed at him in a separate interview with Dibua.
Things stayed quiet for a few years, but heated up once again after Davido said the “pon pon” sound — an afrobeats subgenre that blends highlife and dancehall — was most popular at the time while other sounds were “less.” This was taken as a swipe at Wizkid, who had recently dropped his third album Sound From The Other Side. Wizkid later responded on Twitter, writing, “My people make una remember to say Yankee passport no be baba blue, e no dey cure frog voice.” The tweet essentially says that Davido’s close ties to the American music culture won’t hide his “frog voice.”
In 2018, during an interview with Native Magazine, Davido revealed that he and Wizkid squashed their beef after admitting that things “got physical between our camps.” It appeared as if things would stay that way going forward as both artists appeared as guest acts at one another’s concerts — first with Wizkid appearing at Davido’s 30 BG concert and then with Davido popping out at Wizkid’s Eko Hotel Concert.
For the next few years, things seemed to be good between Davido and Wizkid, outside of some fan-fueled issues (something Davido ssaid was behind him adn Wizkid’s beef during a 2023 Drink Champs interview). After the tragic death of Davido’s son in 2022, Wizkid delayed his fifth album More Love, Less Ego as tribute to Davido’s loss. Wizkid later announced that he and Davido would go on a tour following the release of More Love, Less Ego. Davido and Wizkid closed 2023 on good terms, as a Davido excitedly announced Wizkid’s S2 EP on Twitter, but the good times quickly came to an end at the turn of the year.
After dropping his remix to Kizz Daniel’s “Twe Twe,” Davido tweeted, “We no dey do ‘it will grow on u’ for here … [We don’t do ‘it will grow on u’ here…],” a message that fans believed was a diss toward Wizkid. In April 2024, Davido and Wizkid’s beef was back in full swing after a Wizkid rant resulted in him calling legendary Nigerian afrobeats producer Don Jazzy an “influencer.” Wizkid also mocked Davido by posting a video of him crying in response to fans who begged him to release new music.
Later that day, Davido responded, writing, “Dem no know ur gbedu again [They don’t know your music anymore].” Things took a turn for the worse when Wizkid replied, writing, “U and all ur crew plus ur pant washer songwriter go to sleep at night thinking you actually got anything on me in music wish u all well.” Davido would go on to call Wizkid “delusional” and a “sick man” before adding that he “stopped wasting my clout and jeopardizing my millions of USD of endorsements on someone whose career was resurrected a few years ago just to die again.” Wizkid later claimed that he could “retire today and you are still not on my level,” adding that Davido is “an influencer with a songwriter.”
That brings us to this week’s war of words between Wizkid and Davido. This time around, it’s mostly Wizkid doing the talking as Davido has yet to respond. The reason for Wizkid’s latest disses at Davido is unknown, but you can view all of his insults at the fellow afrobeats star in the tweets below.
Want what? He looks for me everywhere I go like a fan boy he his! This was an event for one of my Dj’s Skyla in Lagos! We no invite dem! https://t.co/WIsyFTszGe
Tems has become a household name in a head-spinning amount of time. The Nigerian songstress went from critically acclaimed artist to pop star thanks to collabs with the likes of Future, Wizkid, and Drake. She even appeared on the soundtrack for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in 2022. Tems is officially a big time name, and she hasn’t even dropped an album. At least, so far. She hopped on social media on May 10 to unveil the cover AND release date for her long-awaited debut.
The artwork for her debut album, Born In the Wild, is absolutely striking. The singer is barely illuminated against a black backdrop. All you can see is her eyes, her jewelry, and loose outline of her body. It fits her soulful, ethereal aesthetic to a T. The bigger revelation, though, was the album’s release date. Fans have been waiting for a Tems album for close to five years, so to call a proper release date a huge deal is an understatement. The singer confirmed that Born In the Wild will be dropping on June 7th.
This is my most special moment. Everything I have I put into this. Thank you all so much for believing in me. BORN IN THE WILD. JUNE 7th pic.twitter.com/ZCBXYDn4M9
Born In the Wild is a long time coming. Tems first teased the album’s existence in 2022 via X (formerly Twitter), and it was originally supposed to drop in May 2024. She didn’t reveal the reason for the delay, but she did reflect on feeling the pressure to deliver during a Billboard profile. The singer claimed she wanted to push the boundaries of what Nigerian performers could get away with. “Is it possible to make this type of music even though I’m Nigerian,” she asked the outlet. “Is there a limit to what I can make? I wanted to find out.”
Tems has released three singles ahead of the album’s release. “Me & U,” “Not An Angel,” and “Love Me JeJe” have all been warmly received by fans and critics.”Me & U” has done particularly well, earning an Outstanding International Song at the 55th NAACP Image Awards. Tems described each of these songs as being powerful because they came from an honest place. “I feed myself with truth and I pray a lot,” she told Apple Music. “I think attaining knowledge and gaining understanding is how you stay grounded.” Now that a proper release date has been dropped, the prayers of Tems’ fans have also been answered.
There continues to be something in the water in 2024. Beef has been on the menu of just about every major rapper, and now the trend is spilling over into Afrobeat. Wizkid and Davido are two of the biggest Afrobeat artists in the world, and they are not putting up a unified front. In fact, both artists took shots at one another, claiming they are the more important figure within Afrobeat. The whole thing went down on X (formerly Twitter) on April 29.
Wizkid started things off with a subtweet. The “Bad to Me” singer criticized an unnamed artist, claiming they couldn’t touch him in terms of relevance. “U and all ur crew plus ur pant washer song writer go to sleep at night thinking you actually got anything on me in music,” he wrote. The mystery of who he was talking about was quickly solved when Davido got involved. The latter quote tweeted a second message from Wizkid that read: “U know what… no point. Delusional n**gas” with a very pointed response. “We not delusional,” Davido wrote. “You’re a sick man.”
The two artists continued to trade shots on X into the evening. Wizkid quote tweeted Davido’s response with a video of Davido awkwardly laughing. The latter then took things up a notch by claiming Wizkid is over the hill. “Exactly why I stopped wasting my clout,” he noted. “And jeopardizing millions of my USD on someone whose career was resurrected a few years ago just to die again.” Davido then took a page out of Drake’s book by poking fun at Wizkid’s shoe size. “Size 7 shoe,” he wrote with a laughing emoji. “N**ga shot at footlocker kids.”
Wizkid decided not to take things further, though. He shut down the X exchange then and there by claiming he was over it. “I don tire,” he tweeted. “I dey go sleep. Jesus is King.” Wizkid and Davido have collaborated multiple times over the years, with some of their most notable songs including “My Way” and “Feel (Remix).”
The two artists reportedly had a falling out in 2023, which Davido attributed to the fans during an appearance on Drink Champs. “It actually started with the fans,” he explained. “It was the fans going at it. We was f*cking around and he announced like, ‘Yo, I’m going on tour with Davido next year.’ The fans were so angry.” Regardless of who started it, the beef has become very real.
But it looks like Wizkid no longer wants to be tethered to the genre. After a clip from his 2023 interview with Apple Music resurfaced, the “Money & Love” musician doubled down on his older statements.
In another posted screenshot by ThatGrapeJuice, he went on to clarify his initial statement. “Listen, am I African? Yes,” he wrote. “But I do make all sorts of music. I don’t want to be labeled just Afrobeats. That’s like saying every American artist makes rap.”
Lil Yachty made a similar point when he began to explore rock via his album Let’s Start Here. Still, users online weren’t pleased with Wizkid’s statement. View the mixed response from users online below.
Outsiders : you cannot box Burna Boy into just afrobeats… He does so many genres effortlessly
Nigerians… He should shut up.. Let’s see how long he can go alone
Afrobeat una…wizkid isn’t afrobeat artist he does every sound…he have done countless genres and even most of his albums speak for him…he have won countless awards in different genre is music category and also charted songs there. pic.twitter.com/InYimdAKXl
No bro you are getting it wrong again. Remove the “afro” whatever… wizkid is pop/r&b, burna is rap/reggae pop… We simply just call these guys afrobeat cos they are Africans, they just want it to stop. We even call Blaqbonez afrobeat artiste even tho blud does rap. https://t.co/13WhkjAX0o
Nothing wrong with what Wizkid is trying to drive home. It doesn’t make sense that every artiste is boxed under Afrobeat. Especially if you’re versatile with your craft. If you have the range to try something new it’s okay to leave the umbrella of Afrobeat and create your sound.
Afrobeat has no substance
(@AbkJahgo) 
(@khanofkhans11_)