I recently went on a rant about  how the public receives (Wizkid’s) music. That piece was birthed from several weeks of confusion that preceded his latest LP, More Love Less Ego. Fans and the audience continue to try to dictate the kind of music they think he should make. Such is the nature of a fan, they hold on so closely to the image of you they fell in love with, ignorant of your right to change as a person and artist.

More Love Less Ego is simply a checkpoint in Wizkid’s evolutionary process. When he was fresh on the block with Superstar, he gained notoriety for turning up every atmosphere, littering songs with lyrics of sweet nothings and calls to dance. Even as a diamond in the rough, he stood out with a swag that genuinely made you want to holla at the boy. In my last Wizkid article, I called Sounds From The Other Side prophetic, but I only held myself back; Wizkid is prophetic, and everything he has spoken about himself has come to pass.

Growing through the phases of superstardom is sure to come with new, and sometimes uncomfortable epiphanies. It would come with an urge to detach from the fray, focus on your personal life and block out the noise. Ayra Starr’s effort on “2 Sugar” emphasises that, “if you get problem, ma gbe sunmomi/i dey fight my own demons, don’t you see?”. It’s easy to compare this record to “Essence”, but it represents something completely different — a blindness to the bullshit.

That’s the biggest difference between his early days and the version we see now. And it’s only normal. Coming from a time where he won our hearts doing what we loved, one would think he has earned the right to make the kind of music that best represents what he’s on at the moment. The kind of music he likes. 

Less Ego comes off as a B-side of the stellar Made In Lagos. The evolution of tropical Wiz has been evident since Sounds From The Other Side, and in its latest instalment, we witness slower tempos and new variations of old rhythms. He’s seriously serenading on “Frames”, surfing the bassline on “Money & Love” and consolidates with Don Toliver on the Juls-produced “Special”. Where Made in Lagos feels spiritual, Less Ego is more intense and leaning towards the physical.

Wizkid is at his most hedonistic on “Flower Pads”. One would imagine every grind and grab with the way he delivers his vocals on the record. Shenseea doubles down on Less Ego’s intense sexual theme on “Slip N Slide”, while Naira Marley and Skepta spit some NSFW lyrics on “Wow”.

Less Ego isn’t likely to set the world alight the way Made in Lagos did. We shouldn’t expect that. This, however, is world music — music worthy of intricate planning and design. Enjoy it for what it is, or sleep and miss it.