Wizkid Breaks Down His Crossover Hit’s Success

The Billboard Hot 100 debut of Wizkid’s “Essence” in July became the culmination of a nearly yearlong global expedition, after the song arrived on Made in Lagos, the Nigerian artist’s second album under RCA Records and his own Starboy Entertainment imprint, last October. RCA executive vp A&R Tunji Balogun recalls first tracing the track’s growth from beyond Africa to the United Kingdom, where Wizkid has a strong performance history and radio presence. From there