{"id":104554,"date":"2022-04-15T15:25:24","date_gmt":"2022-04-15T13:25:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/?p=104554"},"modified":"2022-04-15T15:31:58","modified_gmt":"2022-04-15T13:31:58","slug":"wurld-my-wurld-with-u","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/wurld-my-wurld-with-u\/","title":{"rendered":"WurlD at the crest of self expression"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In 2016, WurlD broke into the music industry as an outlier with \u201cShow You Off<\/a>\u201d featuring Major Lazer\u2019s Walshy Fire. The record, at the time, defies the industry\u2019s status-quo of high-tempo progression. \u201cI had no second-guesses. I just wondered how long it\u2019ll take for people to catch up to this frequency,<\/em>\u201d he says. The idea of synthesizing genres to create a fresh sound was in its trial phase when WurlD, a Nigerian in the diaspora, created a by-product of Afrobeats and Soul.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The singer, born Sadiq Onifade, spent his formative years in Mushin, Lagos before moving to the US where he started as a professional songwriter, having worked with Timbaland, B.O.B, Trinidad James, Mario, and others. For a people hardly receptive to nonresident talents, WurlD maneuvered his way into African hearts with his emotive storytelling, sublime vocal delivery, genre-bending wonders and turquoise-leaning aesthetics. \u201cCompared to a lot of my peers in the Afrobeats community, I\u2019m one of the very few artists that became accepted in Nigeria without having to return first,<\/em>\u201d he admits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He prowls after that success with the \u2018Afro-Juju\u2019- inspired \u201cContagious<\/a>\u201d, before hitting a new career high with, I Luv Girls With Trouble<\/em><\/a>, <\/em>where he joined forces with Sarz. It remains one of the most critically acclaimed projects and collaborations in 2019. I Luv Girls With Trouble <\/em>was nominated for Best African Album at the South African Music Award alongside Davido, Sha Sha, and Isabel Novella. They also earned nominations for Best R&B Duo at the All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA); Best R&B Album and Best Collaboration at the Headies. On the songwriting front, he\u2019d struck gold with \u201cBlow My Mind\u201d by Davido and Chris Brown, \u201cSweet in the Middle\u201d off Davido\u2019s album which also features himself, Naira Marley, and Zlatan. These successes at differing levels would prove WurlD\u2019s expansive sonic palette and tip him as an \u2018artist of many fan bases\u2019. \u201cMy plan is to bring everybody together [at the tour] because people are going to come for different songs. When they come to see me live, they\u2019ll realize what they\u2019ve been missing on the other side,<\/em>\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

WurlD recently shared his debut album, eponymously dubbed My WorlD With U, <\/em>which pictures the soft-spoken singer at the crest of defenseless self-expression. \u201cIt felt like I was sharing too much at some point but it was necessary<\/em>\u201d. The project houses standout records like \u201cMake It Snow\u201d, \u201cGucci\u201d, \u201cStamina\u201d, alongside guest features such as Sho Madjozi, Major Lazer, and Sarz. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this piece, the singer takes PAM on a first-hand experience into his world and everything in between.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n