Wizkid needs a songwriter to help with his international campaign

The Nigerian pop star needs to get his lyrical game right during his push for international

No doubt, Wizkid’s ‘Sweet love’ is a jam. There’s just something peculiar and deeply rewarding about it.

The Starboy singer finally confirmed his deal with Sony’s RCA Records, and put pen to paper on a multi-album deal. The contract which has long been in the offing, marks the first public announcement that Sony Music has had at any level about Wizkid.

"We are thrilled to welcome WizKid to the RCA Records family, RCA Records chairman and CEO Peter Edge said. “He has become a superstar in the African music scene and will be a game-changer in bringing African music to the world. We are extremely excited to have him as a part of RCA and are eager for the journey ahead."

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Wizkid and executives of RCA Records

 (RCA Records)

The singer lost no time in getting things off and taking advantage of his time in the sun by dropping a new single and its video. The song is titled ‘Sweet Love’.

‘Sweet love’ is sweet. Produced by Sarz, the beat is the main victory lap here. Sarz creates an Afrobeat and reggae production, complete with horns, minimalist drums, and vacant spaces for Wizkid to lace his vocals.

“Baby girl nobody afii know, Baby girl watin concern them, Baby girl keep it on a low, Baby girl nothing concern them…” Wizkid lines up his opening lines and go into the song.

The production was top notch, the rhythm and flow is a syrupy blessing to the ears and everything looks like it was a match made in heaven. Just having it in your ears, and vibing to it gets you in the mood for some immersive mid-tempo groove.

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Wizkid in the studio with All About She

 (Instagram)

But that’s if you just want to feel the wave. Going deeper into the lyrics would provide you with reason to shake your head. There’s very little on offer here lyrically be Wizkid. The songwriting feels like an average freestyle, and fails to connect with much.

Wizkid let Sarz down big time. With a beat like that, a little more attention paid to the songwriting would have been explosive for this. It’s frustrating. A liability to such ethereal beat.

The video which is hosted on his VEVO account, shows shares clips of his performances across stadiums and huge concert venues in Africa. In an email to FADER, Wizkid said that the song is "an introduction" to those who don't know him yet. "The visual is made up from content of my live shows throughout Africa, which will give my fans a real insight and feel of me performing back home," he said.

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BeatsbySarz 

(Soundcloud)

Wizkid and Sarz have worked together over time and they have created magic using Afrobeat. A good example is the 2013 ‘Jaiye Jaiye’ single which was the number one song in Africa at some point. The singer has to be more intentional with the songwriting if he wants to connect more.

"It’s hard for me to describe what I do, since I work with rhythms from Afro-Beat, reggae, hip-hop, dance hall and others," Wizkid told Billboard in a recent statement. "What’s important to me is for music to be real, authentic, raw and timeless. I don’t wanna be boxed in to any one genre."

This ‘Sweet love’ record is real. It is raw. It is authentic. But Wizkid’s lyrics ruined its chances of becoming timeless. pulse