The two Nigerian artists present an ode to lust.
WizKid is one of the most famous artists in Nigeria. In March 2021, he won a Grammy Award for Best Music Video for “Brown Skin Girl,” alongside Beyoncé. Recently, the singer paid tribute to his native region via his fourth album Made in Lagos, which was released last October. One of the tracks features the singer Tems, who carved out a niche in the space through her EP For Broken Ears, last September. Inspired by Amy Winehouse, Asa, Frank Ocean and Beyoncé, Tems started her singing career after finishing her studies in economics in South Africa. It marked a surprising change of career since few knew she harbored a secret passion for music.
Tems now finds herself joining the superstar Wizkid on “Essence”. The video was shot in Accra, Ghana. In it, Tems and WizKid perfectly embody sexual desire, advocating a sense of reciprocity. Tems sings: “I tried to teach you, but I could use some lessons.” WizKid replies: “I’ll give you all you need.” Several musical genres are employed for this declaration of physical love.
Tems explains: “When I started music, I didn’t know anything about different genres; I did a little bit of everything and anything. I knew the Afrobeats style, obviously, but it wasn’t until I got into the business that I realized that people categorized albums as R&B, soul, etc.” She adds: “It’s my own way of saying, I can be all of those things at the same time, and I can do any kind of music.” This track perfectly mixes Afropop and R&B. It follows “Ginger,” an ode to the aphrodisiac ingredient, also from the album Made in Lagos, unveiled last January with Burna Boy.
The album Made in Lagos is now available.
Find Tems and WizKid in our Songs of the Week playlist on Spotify and Deezer.
