Since 2009, Wizkid has ascended to the forefront of Afropop thanks to an even-keeled mastery of a variety of beguiling grooves. His earliest years in the spotlight were marked by a stream of earnest yet soulful dispatches from the depths of Ojuelegba that stood him out as a generational talent on 2011’s Superstar and 2014’s Ayo. As his career has advanced, he has recalibrated his style to reflect a newfound maturity, introducing a lush blues-influenced style that he first unfurled on his major label debut, Sounds from the Other Side (2017), and perfected on 2020’s Made in Lagos. Wizkid’s sixth album, 2024’s Morayo, represents the richest fusion of all the disparate styles that the Nigerian Starboy has experimented with across his career yet.
Billed as a dedication to the life and legacy of his late mother from which the album takes its name, Morayo finds Wizkid at his clear-eyed best. On it, he reaffirms his link to Lagos and the communes across the city that shaped his world-view, making for a compelling listen that demands rapt attention. From track to track, the mood shifts between delirious celebration to contemplative reflection and unmistakable escapism. Still, it’s all held together by the familiar lull of Wizkid’s voice as he guides listeners through an odyssey of moods and feelings with help from a talented cast of guests. The first voice heard on Morayo is that of fújì legend Kwam 1, a callback to the Yoruba oral icon’s set at the lavish burial party held for Wizkid’s mum. It sets the stage for a record that fuses Wizkid’s neo-R&B aesthetics with the percussive grit of his Afropop roots.
Elsewhere, street-pop star Asake joins for a dedication to a love interest on “Bad Girl”, while British Nigerian producer P2J is credited on multiple songs, continuing the long-established connection with Wizkid. French rapper Tiakola dials in for a multilingual thesis on love’s redemptive powers on “Après Minuit”, and on “A Million Blessings”, Wizkid takes account of all his successes. Ultimately, Morayo is an album about the love between Wizkid and his mother and how her belief laid the first stone for his eventual takeover of Afropop—as referenced by the line “Mama call me Ayo Balogun, they can never find another you” on “Pray”.
