Nigerian Superstar Wizkid Set For Apple Music Live Performance

Grammy Award-winning and multi-platinum selling superstar Wizkid's recent performance at The Roundhouse in London will be available to stream on Apple Music in over 165 countries next Monday, November 14th at 12p PST / 3p EST / 8p UK time.

Wizkid is the latest artist to take the stage for Apple Music Live, the live performance series on Apple Music giving the biggest stars in music a global platform to connect with audiences around the world. Launched this spring, Apple Music Live has previously featured exclusive live streamed performances from global superstars Harry Styles, Lil Durk, Mary J. Blige, and Luke Combs.

Wizkid's Apple Music Live performance features some of the first performances of songs from his highly anticipated new album 'More Love, Less Ego', coming later this week via Starboy/Sony Music International/RCA Records. Ahead of the performance, Wizkid sat down with Apple Music 1 host Dotty to discuss the new project, his global influence, and what fans can expect from his Apple Music Live show. The conversation will air in full this Friday, November 11th at 12:00p PST.

"Apple Music has always been a supporter of my career and a major tool in connecting me with my fans," Wizkid said upon the announcement of the performance. "Collaborating with them on something like this is special. I'm excited to debut new music from my forthcoming album 'More Love, Less Ego' and share my Apple Music Live show with fans across the world."

"In a show unlike any other, Wiz performs his biggest hits to date alongside previously unheard tracks from the new album, offering a unique experience for fans to revisit old classics and fall in love with new favourites," said Apple Music host Dotty. "This performance gives Wizkid fans a rare opportunity to see the star boy perform an intimate set and a chance FOR THE PEOPLE in THE ROOM to relive the experience."

Across Apple Music, the Nigerian singer-songwriter has reached new heights as the first African solo artist to break the Global Daily top 10 with "Essence (feat. Tems)" reaching Number 9 on the Global Daily Top 100 in the summer of 2020. The October 2020 album Made in Lagos has served as a breakthrough release for Wizkid, with the album ranked within the Top 10 albums streamed in the first week of release across 8 countries in Africa (Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Benin, Sierra Leone, and Rwanda), and helped spur his growth in countries outside of Africa.

All told, Wizkid has reached the Daily Top 100 in 112 countries worldwide and his songs have appeared on major Apple Music editorial playlists including Today's Hits, R&B Now and Afrobeats Hits. Wizkid scored his first US No. 1 on Shazam as a lead artist last year with "Essence" spending two consecutive weeks at the top of the chart. His feature on "One Dance" by Drake, ranks as one of the most-Shazamed songs of all time (No. 43) with over 17 million Shazams.

About Wizkid

Grammy award winning singer/songwriter Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun, aka Wizkid, began his career in music when he was just 11 years old in Lagos, Nigeria. His first record, Lil Prinz, was recorded in 2001 in collaboration with Glorious Five, a group consisting of Balogun and his friends from church.

In 2006, he started pursuing music full-time, at first collaborating with various Nigerian pop acts including OJB Jezreel, Naeto C, and Banky W. By 2011, he was ready to record his debut studio album as a solo artist: Superstar was released via Empire Mates Entertainment to great critical and public acclaim across Africa, propelling him to stardom in his home country.

After multiple delays and label disagreements, Balogun released his sophomore album titled Ayo in 2014, which featured Balogun's global breakthrough track "Ojuelegba." Not only did the single cement his status as one of Nigeria's biggest pop acts, but it was also picked up and remixed by Drake and Skepta, thrusting Wizkid into the international spotlight. In return, Wizkid appeared on Drake's 2016 smash single "One Dance."

In March 2017, it was announced that Wizkid had signed a major deal with RCA and Sony International, which released his third LP, Sounds From the Other Side, later that year. Following this, Wizkid refocused energy on his Starboy imprint in Africa. From releasing viral records like "Soco'' with his affiliate acts to securing partnerships with brands such as Puma, Wizkid has solidified himself as a millennial pioneer for African entertainment.

As an ode to his hometown, Wizkid released his fourth full-length project titled Made in Lagos in 2020 with guest appearances from Burna Boy, Skepta, Damian Marley, H.E.R, Ella Mai, and more. The album is the longest charting Nigerian album of the century on Billboard World Albums chart, and the first and only African album to be RIAA certified Gold in the US with half a million in sale units.

The Grammy nominated hit single "Essence" became the first Nigerian song to feature on the Billboard Hot 100 and reached #1 on US Urban radio. The album's 2021 Grammy nominated deluxe version had the Justin Bieber remixed lead single "Essence" (featuring Tems) that peaked at #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in addition to winning a 2022 BET Award for "Best Collaboration" and a 2022 NAACP Image Award for "Outstanding International Song." Made in Lagos, along with his Grammy award winning feature with Beyonce, five sold-out shows at the o2 Arena in London and his sold-out show at the Accor Arena in Paris, prove Wizkid's movement to be one of lasting global impact.

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