It’s very asake
― human and working on getting beer (longneck), Wednesday, 14 September 2022 21:48 (one year ago) link
Rolling Stone weighing in:https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/wizkid-bad-to-me-1234592255/
― big movers, hot steppers + long shaker intros (breastcrawl), Friday, 16 September 2022 07:55 (one year ago) link
Good maybe not great song, though it also took me two listens to fully hear it; the hitch for me was his lower register, which sounded strange to me at first. I also recall the early singles from MiL being slightly underwhelming, or at least "Smile" wasn't v well received around here pre-album.
I get the Asake ref. Yet it doesn't really sound much like him, specifically, in the rest of the singing or production. Obviously choral chanting is a hot trend but I mean...Fela also had backing choruses, and I think something breastcrawl posted mentioned fuji or juju antecedents, and Asake himself cited gospel. Full credit for making it such a phenom in 2022, absolutely, but it's not like Asake invented the idea.
re: that RS piece, "Soweto Baby" was 7 years ago! Obvs that's not amapiano but clearly Wizkid pays attention to SA
― rob, Friday, 16 September 2022 13:16 (one year ago) link
The amapianthem now has a video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mkhevOXVNk
― human and working on getting beer (longneck), Wednesday, 19 October 2022 18:34 (one year ago) link
…which includes (apart from more exquisite wardrobe samples) five seconds of another, presumably soon to be released, new track.
― big movers, hot steppers + long shaker intros (breastcrawl), Wednesday, 19 October 2022 18:37 (one year ago) link
…which sounds pre-tty gooood.
― human and working on getting beer (longneck), Wednesday, 19 October 2022 18:38 (one year ago) link
…which goes without saying.
― big movers, hot steppers + long shaker intros (breastcrawl), Wednesday, 19 October 2022 18:40 (one year ago) link
I’ve come around on this slinky little tune btw, but it’s hardly the most exciting thing out. Wizkid’s usually one step ahead of the competition.
― human and working on getting beer (longneck), Wednesday, 19 October 2022 18:41 (one year ago) link
agreed
― big movers, hot steppers + long shaker intros (breastcrawl), Wednesday, 19 October 2022 18:42 (one year ago) link
i think most artists these days aren't coming out of the gate w/ their best single. they're prob considering this one the "teaser" or w/e
― J0rdan S., Wednesday, 19 October 2022 18:46 (one year ago) link
he allegedly performed the new album in full in london last month for an apple event but i don't see any write ups or anything about it
― J0rdan S., Wednesday, 19 October 2022 18:49 (one year ago) link
missed that, but here’s a report:https://www.bellanaija.com/2022/09/wizkid-album-preview-london/
― big movers, hot steppers + long shaker intros (breastcrawl), Wednesday, 19 October 2022 18:57 (one year ago) link
Wizkid performed his new album “More Love Less Ego” live with the Apple Music in UK last Tuesday night 💿🇬🇧It’s now confirmed that Big Wiz unreleased album will features; TravisScott, RoddyRicch, Don Toliver, AyraStar, NairaMarley, Buju Banton & Ty Dolla $ 🎤🦅 pic.twitter.com/DfbpZZ9kID— World Music Republic (@WMREPUBLIC) September 28, 2022
― big movers, hot steppers + long shaker intros (breastcrawl), Wednesday, 19 October 2022 19:00 (one year ago) link
roddy and don toliver are pretty good picks stylistically
― J0rdan S., Wednesday, 19 October 2022 19:02 (one year ago) link
at least no Ed Sheeran
― rob, Wednesday, 19 October 2022 19:03 (one year ago) link
When Ty Dolla is on, he’s on. And on paper, at least, the two should be a good match. But this definitely smells of Sounds from the other side 2, in which case… oh well.
― human and working on getting beer (longneck), Wednesday, 19 October 2022 19:04 (one year ago) link
But this definitely smells of Sounds from the other side 2, in which case… oh well.
― human and working on getting beer (longneck), Wednesday, October 19, 2022 3:04 PM (twelve seconds ago)
i mean, the songwriting could just end up being a lot better
― J0rdan S., Wednesday, 19 October 2022 19:05 (one year ago) link
That is what I’m hoping. On the other hand, there’s also Twice as Tall.
― human and working on getting beer (longneck), Wednesday, 19 October 2022 19:06 (one year ago) link
the two tracks he did with T$ on SftOS are among the biggest duds of his career. they are besties tho, so…
― big movers, hot steppers + long shaker intros (breastcrawl), Wednesday, 19 October 2022 19:11 (one year ago) link
there’s also Twice as Tall.
― human and working on getting beer (longneck), Wednesday, October 19, 2022 3:06 PM (four minutes ago)
there's also african giant!
― J0rdan S., Wednesday, 19 October 2022 19:12 (one year ago) link
I think we can all agree Wizkid (and Afropop in general) is past that stage, where it be African Giant or Twice As Tall. we’re in an era where Asake can crack the Billboard album charts with some Yoruba shit.
― big movers, hot steppers + long shaker intros (breastcrawl), Wednesday, 19 October 2022 19:16 (one year ago) link
*whether it be
I assumed longneck was thinking AG : TaT :: MiL : MLLEit's a bit premature for these worries though, no?
Asake is notably free from ill-fitting crossover features, which hopefully bodes well for the future
― rob, Wednesday, 19 October 2022 19:17 (one year ago) link
Made in Lagos would be the equivalent of African Giant in my analogy… I’m just saying these blatant crossover attempts rarely work very well. If he has made a pure afro’n’b album, however, I’d say there’s a chance he might pull it off.
― human and working on getting beer (longneck), Wednesday, 19 October 2022 19:17 (one year ago) link
(oh wait I forgot about Russ on the Asake)
― rob, Wednesday, 19 October 2022 19:18 (one year ago) link
― big movers, hot steppers + long shaker intros (breastcrawl), Wednesday, October 19, 2022 3:16 PM (three minutes ago)
not that artists at this stature are ever divorced from commercial concerns but i would think of it less as "we need to work w/ these artists in order to crossover" and more "i want to work w/ these artist because i like them and it would be fun"
― J0rdan S., Wednesday, 19 October 2022 19:20 (one year ago) link
Yeah that’s my point. If Wizkid plays the Twice as Tall game he’ll surely miss. If he’s mainly aiming for an African audience - like Asake - he could actually cross over big time. I think.
― human and working on getting beer (longneck), Wednesday, 19 October 2022 19:20 (one year ago) link
well, exactly, in the sense that aiming for an African audience means you’ll have the ear of the world
― big movers, hot steppers + long shaker intros (breastcrawl), Wednesday, 19 October 2022 19:26 (one year ago) link
US r&b is already chasing the afropop sound. As long as he’s not too actively trying to adopt his sound to the American market he’ll probably do fine. Wiz is always at his best when he’s at his most relaxed and comfortable, not when he’s trying to fit in.
― human and working on getting beer (longneck), Wednesday, 19 October 2022 19:27 (one year ago) link
but I get Jordan S.’s point - and to be honest, the collaborators on MiL didn’t look all that exciting on paper either
― big movers, hot steppers + long shaker intros (breastcrawl), Wednesday, 19 October 2022 19:28 (one year ago) link
cp
xp
US r&b is already chasing the afropop sound
oh yeah? can you list some examples? (not challenging you, I would like to know)
― rob, Wednesday, 19 October 2022 19:31 (one year ago) link
whatever he does, it will be quality, but I wouldn’t like to see him rest on his laurels (although of course he has long been deserving to).one of the most beautiful things he has created through MiL is that Naijapop artists feel confident and free enough now to make albums that create a specific mood that suits them, instead of chasing crossover clout by trying to cover all bases through strategic collabs and different styles. thinking especially of the Omah Lay and CKay albums here.
― big movers, hot steppers + long shaker intros (breastcrawl), Wednesday, 19 October 2022 19:36 (one year ago) link
― rob, Wednesday, October 19, 2022 3:31 PM (one minute ago)
would start w/ the chris brown + wizkid song that is as close to made in lagos cosplay as you could ever achieve
also the future/drake song that is essentially just a remixed version of tems "higher"
i wouldn't necessarily say US r&b is chasing afropop so much as afropop is simply just considered part of contemporary R&B now. if you are a fan of modern R&B you are listening to african artists. the wall has completely collapsed. "essence" is prob the biggest pure R&B song in years. tems is easily the biggest breakout R&B singer of the last few years.
― J0rdan S., Wednesday, 19 October 2022 19:39 (one year ago) link
and Asake obv, but his approach (in close collaboration with Magicsticks) feels like a next step already
― big movers, hot steppers + long shaker intros (breastcrawl), Wednesday, 19 October 2022 19:39 (one year ago) link
― big movers, hot steppers + long shaker intros (breastcrawl), Wednesday, 19 October 2022 19:40 (one year ago) link
here are the top 5 songs on the billboard hip hop/R&B airplay chart (to me the best measure of what songs are being served to very core, mainstream rap and r&b listeners) this week
1. future ft. drake & tems - wait for u2. tems - free mind3. diddy & bryson tiller - gotta move on4. burna boy - last last5. lil baby - in a minute
― J0rdan S., Wednesday, 19 October 2022 19:42 (one year ago) link
as to longneck’s point, also a sign of the times that a track from Niniola’s sort of side project r&b ep from last year is now used in some US tv drama:
A song by @officialniniola was featured on episode two of the U.S television drama All American: Homecoming 🌍 🔥 #homecoming #drama #niniola #africaentertainmenttv pic.twitter.com/pgMLxHWsgW— Africa Entertainment TV (@africaenttv_) October 18, 2022
― big movers, hot steppers + long shaker intros (breastcrawl), Wednesday, 19 October 2022 19:43 (one year ago) link
xpah ok I guess I already knew all that (though I'm not a chart-watcher and did not realize Last Last had penetrated there), thought longneck meant something a little different
― rob, Wednesday, 19 October 2022 19:44 (one year ago) link
doja cat "woman" is also an afrobeats song which went top 10 and was no 1 at pop radio
― J0rdan S., Wednesday, 19 October 2022 19:47 (one year ago) link
^yeah that's more what I thought he meant (and is new to me for some reason)
― rob, Wednesday, 19 October 2022 19:50 (one year ago) link
i think there's a stronger case to be made that african artists are taking over R&B (i.e. asake outstreaming ari lennox first week) than american artists chasing the sound per se, but there are def some prominent examples (the ones i listed) of the latter. to chris brown's credit he was maybe the first big american artist to really recognize afrobeats artists? so his rip off of 'made in lagos' doesn't feel that galling
― J0rdan S., Wednesday, 19 October 2022 19:56 (one year ago) link
CB def one of the first - he’s one of the earliest friends Wizzy made in the US industry. they made “Shabba” in 2016 (with Trey Songz there as well!) and iirc “African Bad Gyal” may have been recorded even earlier - too bad they sat on it for too long. when Wiz finally dropped it it no longer sounded current.
― big movers, hot steppers + long shaker intros (breastcrawl), Wednesday, 19 October 2022 20:02 (one year ago) link
Jordan, are there any other afropop (-adjacent) tracks in Billboard’s hip hop/R&B airplay chart? it’s one of their many subscribers-only charts, so I have no access to it
― big movers, hot steppers + long shaker intros (breastcrawl), Wednesday, 19 October 2022 20:13 (one year ago) link
All of the above. Doja is a really good example, as is Call Me Every Day. There's also stuff like Kelly Rowland jumping on the Bloody Samaritan remix and Rema and Selena actually charting now. Jordan gets it right: african artists are basically taking over r&b now, for better or worse.
― human and working on getting beer (longneck), Wednesday, 19 October 2022 20:13 (one year ago) link
Kelly has form as well: she was on the remix for Korede Bello’s “Do Like That” five years ago.
― big movers, hot steppers + long shaker intros (breastcrawl), Wednesday, 19 October 2022 20:20 (one year ago) link
there was "heated" from the beyoncé album
― comedy khadafi (voodoo chili), Wednesday, 19 October 2022 20:23 (one year ago) link
As I believe deej pointed out some years ago, it all started with this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeJhi1-C7G0
― human and working on getting beer (longneck), Wednesday, 19 October 2022 20:26 (one year ago) link
+ the entire lion king soundtrack xp
― J0rdan S., Wednesday, 19 October 2022 20:27 (one year ago) link