Having attained many incredible heights, Essence, the hit single by Wizkid and Tems, has received another massive endorsement.
The song was certified four times platinum on February 14, 2024, by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). This milestone was reached after a record sale of four million digital copies.
The highly ranked tune has now become the first Afrobeats song to earn this recognition. It had already been certified gold and platinum in countries like Canada, Switzerland, and South Africa.
Essence was released on October 30, 2020, as the fourth single from Wizkid‘s fourth studio album, Made in Lagos. The sensual rendition has the two songbirds expressing desire for each other.
The music video was shot in Accra, Ghana, was released on April 9, 2021, and has generated a whopping 176 million YouTube views.
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Records indicate Essence was the first Nigerian song in history to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 and the Billboard Global 200. It also received a nomination at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards for Best Global Music Performance.
In 2021, Essence was ranked as the number one best song of 2021 by American magazine Rolling Stone, and included in Spotify’s Song of the Summer playlist in June 2021. It also made Barack Obama’s favourite 2020 playlist.
In October 2023, Billboard staff ranked Essence as number 407 in their Best Pop Songs of all Time. Time Magazine named it the second-best song of 2021. The song is believed to have paved the way for other African artists to reach international success.
The low-tempo rendition has several recognitions, including, the All Africa Music Awards and BET Awards for Best African Collaboration in 2021 and 2022, respectively.
Wizkid’s Made In Lagos is a 14-track composition with several guest features like H.E.R and Ella Mai, Jamaican artists such as Projexx and Damian Marley, and Nigerian artists such as Starboy Terri, Skepta, and Burna Boy and others.