Wizkid’s sixth studio album, Morayo, released on November 22, 2024, marks a profound chapter in Wizkid’s illustrious career. Dedicated to his late mother, Jane Morayo Balogun, who passed away in 2023. This grief served as the emotional cornerstone behind this deeply personal and introspective album, which captures the artist journey through loss, his reflections on life’s impermanence, cultural pride, and his appreciation for family love and legacy.
The 16 tracks album showcases Wizkid’s evolution as an artist, bringing Afrobeat, R&B, traditional cultural sounds, and his signature laid-back tungba sound, all crafted into a reflective yet celebratory narrative.The album is a heartfelt narrative of BigWiz navigating personal loss, celebrating life, and staying grounded within global success. Wizkid channels these emotions into his music, giving his fans yet dynamic collection of songs in the album ‘MORAYO’
Setting a reflective tone with a blend of rich traditional Yoruba elements, the album opens with “Troubled Mind,” featuring Fuji legend Kwam 1. Passing a message of introspection on struggles and self-confidence, while reflecting on challenges and resilience. Troubled Mind is a Mid-tempo song with traditional Yoruba drums and saxophone, a fusion of Afrobeat and Fiju. Produced by P2J, this track is Wizkid’s way of confronting personal struggles while finding solace in resilience and cultural roots.
The album picks up the tempo with “Karamo,” a vibrant dance anthem and infectious energy. In this song, Wiz passed a message of celebrating good life and living in the moment, encouraging joy and dancing as a form of liberation. With top-notch Afrobeat party starter vibe, this is an absolute quintessential party anthem. Also produced by P2J, the song has high-energy with vibrant percussion and saxophone.
Then, “Kese (Dance),” an uptempo infectious Afrobeat hit that sparked a TikTok trend with its irresistible rhythm. In this track, Wizkid does what he does best, which is controlling the dance floor. Kese is Wiz telling his fans that I own the dance floor, passing a message of Joy and freedom through dance. The track, produced by P2J came with heavy percussion and irresistible grooves, with catchy rhythms very perfect for any dance floors.
“Piece of My Heart,” a duet with American songwriter and singer Brent Faiyaz, blends R&B with Afrobeat. A song filled with soulful harmony and delicate affirmations of love, Vulnerability and trust. In this track, Brent Faiyaz’s soothing vocals complement Wizkid’s melodious delivery. While “Bad Girl,” featuring Asake, mixes sensuality and Afrobeat bounce, a playful admiration of a confident woman. The P-priime produced track has an R&B and Afrobeat bounce with streetwise vibes, a real Wiz and Asake collaboration, full of matching synergy.
French rapper Tiakola joins on “Après Minuit,” adding multilingual flair. A fusion of Afrobeat and Freach rap, the song speaks on expoloring sensual late-night connection and intimacy, While Jazmine Sullivan commanding vocals elevates “Bad For You” with her rich R&B delivery and Jazz undertune. The collaboration makes a sultry standout, speaks about the exploration of emotional conflict while in love. Tracks like “Lose” and “Pray” , a soft rhythm track with reflective poetic lyrics, bring the album full circle of spiritual and emotional climax, dedicated to themes of loss, faith, gratitude and resilience.
The album was majorly produced by Wizkid’s longtime collaborator P2J, with contributions from P.Priime, DAMEDAME, AoD, Dpat, and others. Basically, the album boasts of rich instrumentation, including talking drums, saxophones, and smooth guitar riffs, giving it a luxury and well layered sound. Collaborators like Anaïs Cardot, Tiakola, and Asake blend seamlessly with Wizkid’s artistry, enhancing the album’s global appeal without overshadowing its core Afrobeat roots.
There had been mixed reactions and reviews, since the release of the album ‘Morayo’ , with critics praising its emotional depth and cohesive sound but also noting a lack of thematic innovation compared to works like ‘Made in Lagos’. Nevertheless, the album resonated with fans, garnering significant streaming number. Indicating the album’s strong initial performance, just on first day of release, lead single “Kese (Dance)” broke records with 1.57 million streams on Spotify alone. While Morayo hasn’t reached the landmark success of album like ‘Made in Lagos’, it underscores Wizkid’s ability to balance vulnerability and groove, sitting comfortably and securing his place as a leading figure in Afrobeat.
In summary, Morayo flows effortlessly, with tracks transitioning between high-energy grooves and reflective melodies. Wizkid’s vocals maintain a laid-back yet emotive delivery, supported by production quality that balances contemporary and traditional sounds. The album is a testament to Wizkid’s artistic maturity and his ability to channel personal experiences into global music. The album may not redefine his legacy, but it enriches it,stamping his name as a universal ambassador of Afrobeats and showing a more poignant glimpse into the man behind the music
