Tag Archives: Wizkid

Fans flood social media with tributes as Wizkid turns 35

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Nigerian music superstar Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun, widely known as Wizkid, marked his 35th birthday on Tuesday, July 16, and fans across the globe have taken to social media in massive numbers to celebrate the Afrobeats icon.

Using trending hashtags like #WizkidAt35, #StarBoy35, and #WizkidDay, supporters flooded X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and other platforms with heartfelt messages, rare throwback photos, and performance clips to honour the singer’s remarkable journey in music.

From fans referring to him as the “Greatest of All Time (GOAT)” to others hailing him as the man who “changed the sound of Africa,” the outpouring of love reflects Wizkid’s immense cultural impact.

“Happy Birthday to the Greatest to ever do it. Wizkid FC loves you forever,” wrote @itzbasito.

Another fan, @dammiedammie35, tweeted, “35 years of greatness. Happy Birthday to our GOAT, Machala himself! Starboy forever!”

@omojuwa posted, “Wizkid’s impact on the culture is unmatched. Legend living.”

Read Also: Wizkid drops new album ‘Morayo’ in tribute to late mother

Clips of his early interviews, award-winning performances, and historic shows from Lagos to London and Paris made the rounds as fans reminisced on his growth from a teenage star to a global music force.

“You gave us Ojuelegba, and the world listened. Long live the king,” @drealofficial wrote, while @itz_KingBryan added, “Happy birthday to the man who changed the sound of Africa. May your reign never end, Big Wiz!”

Wizkid, born on July 16, 1990, in Surulere, Lagos, began his musical journey at the age of 11, singing with his church choir group, Glorious Five. He shot to fame in 2010 with the release of his debut single “Holla at Your Boy” after signing with Banky W’s EME Records. A year later, he released his acclaimed debut album “Superstar,” which launched him into national and continental stardom.

Over the years, Wizkid has grown into one of Africa’s biggest music exports, known for his genre-blending sound that fuses Afrobeats, R&B, pop, and dancehall. He has won numerous international awards, including a Grammy Award, BET Awards, MOBOs, MTV EMAs, and more. His landmark collaboration with Beyoncé on “Brown Skin Girl” won a Grammy in 2021, further cementing his place on the world stage.

His discography boasts successful albums such as Ayo, Sounds From The Other Side, Made in Lagos, and More Love, Less Ego, with hit tracks including Ojuelegba, Essence, Fever, and Soco. His ability to continuously evolve while staying true to his African roots has earned him a loyal global fanbase.

As fans across continents continue to celebrate him, one thing is clear — Wizkid has not only transformed Nigerian music but has helped redefine Africa’s place on the global music map.

For more updates on your favourite celebrities and entertainment news, stay connected with News Access NG.

Wizkid sets new Spotify record

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Ace Nigerian Artist, Ayodeji Balogun, popularly known as Wizkid, has set a new Spotify record for the biggest streams by any song.

The superstar’s recently released album titled “Morayo” has claimed the number 1 spot on the Apple Music Nigeria Chart, with all his tracks dominating the charts to positions.

One of his singles from the album titled “Kese (Dance)” set the record for the highest opening day stream on Spotify Nigeria with 1.5 million streams.

Read Also: Wizkid drops new album ‘Morayo’ in tribute to late mother

Another single “Piece of My Heart” also surpass 1 million opening day streams on Spotify.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Wizkid’s album, Morayo, which translates to “I see joy” in Yoruba, is a heart felt tribute to his late mother, Juliana Balogun, who passed away in August 2023.

The album, which was launched on the Nov. 22, features tasteful selection of artistes across genres.

(NAN)

Wizkid drops new album ‘Morayo’ in tribute to late mother

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Grammy-winning Nigerian artist, Ayodeji Balogun, popularly known by his stage name Wizkid, has released his sixth studio album, “Morayo” in tribute to his late mother, Jane Balogun, who passed on in August 2023.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the much-anticipated 16-track album was release on streaming platforms on Friday.

The tracks include hit songs — Troubled Mind, Karamo, Kese (Dance), Bad Girl, Time, Piece of My Heart and Pray, with collaborations
featuring renowned artistes such as Asake, Brent Faiyaz, Jazmine Sullivan, Anaïs and Tiakola.

Wizkid had earlier in June, in a video message shared on his social media page, told his fans that the album was to honour his late mother.

He said “my album ‘Morayo’, dedicated to my mum, the love of my life, drops very soon. Don’t dull. Don’t sleep.”

In another post on his X handle, he wrote: “Morayo! Friday, Nov. 22.”

However, the ace singer in October dropped a track “Piece of My Heart”, featuring American singer and songwriter,Brent Faiyaz, from the album for his curious fans.

The soul-stirring track immediately set a new record on Spotify for the biggest first day streams by any song, pulling 1.01 million streams.

Read Also: PICTORIAL: Davido receives luxury car as 32nd birthday gift

Wizkid broke the record he previously shared with Asake for their chart-topping single “MMS” from  Asake’s “Lungu Boy” album, making
“Piece of My Heart” Africa’s first song to surpass one million opening day streams on Spotify.

NAN reports that Wizkid, born in Surulere, Lagos, started his music career at 11 and released a collaborative album with Glorious Five, a group formed with Church friends.

In 2009, he signed with Banky W’s Empire Mates Entertainment and became famous with “Holla at Your Boy”, and since then, evolved to become a global brand.

Among other feats, Wizkid became the first Nigerian musician to have over one million followers on Twitter (now X) in 2014.

He became first Afrobeat artist to appear in the 2018 Guinness World Records for his contribution to “One Dance” and his song “Soco” became his first
Afrobeat single to be certified gold in Canada.

In mid-2019, Wizkid was featured on Beyonce’s “Brown Skin Girl”, taken from the acclaimed “The Lion King: The Gift” soundtrack, which earned
him his first Grammy Award, among other nominations and awards.

Besides “Morayo”, his studio albums include Superstar (2011), Ayo(2014),Sounds from the Other Side(2017),Made in Lagos(2020) and More Love Less Hate(2022)
(NAN)