There appears to be a new Wizkid-Drake collaboration coming up, and this time it will be a Wizkid project.
While everyone was busy lamenting the singer’s loss of his brand name ‘Starboy’ to The Weeknd, Wizkid has been gearing up for new music to be released, and this time, it features Drake.
Who would have thought? Or found a place in their wildest imagination where Drake and Wizkid collaborate three times within the space of a year? Not me, not you, not anyone!
Wiz and Drizzy first found middle ground to collaborate on ‘Ojuelegba’, a song off Wizkid’s sophomore studio album “Ayo (Joy)”. Drake had heard the song from UK Grime artiste Skepta, and jumped on it with a verse, which birthed an international remix. The pair worked again for what has been the biggest pop single of 2016, ‘One Dance’, a song which stayed 9 weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 Chart. Now it appears things are going to go full circle with a new collaboration coming in hot from Wizkid’s end of the divide.
Turns out while Wizkid and Drake worked on his 2016 “Views” album, the pair also recorded more music for each other’s projects, and Wizkid is gearing forward to end the year with one of those projects. If this finally sees the light of day, it makes Wizkid the first Nigerian artiste to have collaborated with the hottest US act thrice in one year (for all it is worth.)
But seriously, the possibilities are endless. Wizkid just recently signed up to Sony Music Entertainment on a very lucrative record deal, which is yet to be announced. If this single is to be released, it will have to be officially released through Sony Music, and distributed in the US via RCA Records, the same company that handles the portfolio of Davido and Ayo Jay.
2016 for Wizkid has been one of international penetration, and although Drake has been at the centre of it, he has released collaborations with Tinie Tempah, Justin Skye, French Montana, Chris Brown, and Trey Songz. His sophomore studio album has been recorded, with reports revealing that a 2016 release is on the cards for the album.
But a new deal with Sony Music will have to delay that, to enable the record label vet the songs off the project, and properly plan, strategize and devise the best possible means and channels to market, promote and generate value from the album. Wizkid is Africa’s biggest artiste, and there is a huge opportunity for all parties involved.
A new song with Drake sets everyone on the right path, and keeps Wizkid’s hopes of finally crossing over well and alive.
