Superstar (Wizkid album)
Superstar is the debut studio album by Nigerian singer Wizkid. It was released by Empire Mates Entertainment on June 12, 2011.[1] The album's production was handled by Samklef, E-Kelly, Jay Sleek, Shizzi, DJ Klem, Masterkraft, Q-Beats, Banky W and Vebee.[2] It features collaborations with Wande Coal, D'Prince, Banky W and Skales. The album was supported by the singles "Holla at Your Boy", "Tease Me/Bad Guys", "Don't Dull", "Love My Baby", "Pakurumo", and "Oluwa Lo Ni". It is the second best selling album on NotJustOk and was the most highly anticipated Nigerian album of 2011.[3]
| Superstar | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | June 12, 2011 | |||
| Recorded | 2009–2011 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Label | Empire Mates | |||
| Producer | Various
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| Wizkid chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Superstar | ||||
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Background and composition
In an interview with Factory78 TV, Wizkid said the album was meant to be released on Valentine's Day, but was postponed due to preparations for a London gig.[4] Superstar incorporates elements of R&B, dancehall and reggae. Although the album is predominantly Afrobeats, the sounds of the aforementioned genres are evident throughout the album, specifically on "Tease Me/Bad Guys", "Gidi Girl" and "Slow Whine". The album's themes deal primarily with starting from the bottom and reaching to the top, i.e. from grass to grace. In "No Lele", Wizkid talks about hustle and how he had to work hard to succeed. In "Say My Name", he talks about his success and how everyone now "calls his name". In "Wad Up", he is reminiscent about the time he used to get insulted by people who called him dirty. In "Shout Out", he thanked everyone who helped him become successful. In a nutshell, Wizkid describes his early life, particularly the hardships he endured and how he triumphant and made a name for himself. Wizkid also made references to God.
Singles
The album's lead single "Holla at Your Boy" was released on January 2, 2010. The accompanying music video for the song was shot at Dowen College in Lekki; Skales and Ice Prince made cameo appearances in the video.[5] The album's second single "Tease Me/Bad Guys" was released on April 2, 2010. The song's music video was shot and directed by Kemi Adetiba at Aqua Nightclub in Abuja.[6] The album's third single Don't Dull" was released on December 4, 2010; its remix features vocals by Akon and was leaked on October 26, 2011.[7] The album's fourth single "Love My Baby" was released on August 29, 2011. The album's fifth single "Pakurumo" was released on December 10, 2011; its accompanying music video features cameo appearances from Pasuma, Ali Baba, Tee-A, Funke Akindele, Skales, Lynxxx, Davido, Banky W, Pope Da Hitman, Tiwa Savage, Mo'Cheddah and Ice Prince.[8] The music video for the album's sixth single "Oluwa Lo Ni" was released on July 17, 2012; it was shot in 3D by Eban Olivier of Mushroom Productions.[9]
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Jaguda | 7.0/10[10] |
| 360nobs | 7.5/10[11] |
| Nigerian Entertainment Today |   [12] |
Superstar received generally positive reviews from music critics. Music blog Jaguda.com awarded the album 7 stars out of 10, describing it as "a sound album for an artist who has put out numerous profitable songs".[10] A writer for 360nobs granted the album an overall verdict of 7.5 out of 10, saying it doesn't contain political themes and its lyrical content doesn't border that of the Abami Eda.[11] A Nigerian Entertainment Today writer gave the album 3 stars out of 5, concluding: "On Superstar, Wizkid compressed albums 2 and 3 of his career into one CD. It will be interesting to see which direction the young singer's career takes from here but it's pretty clear to see that Superstar could be the beginning of something very special in Nigerian music."[12]
Accolades
Superstar won Best Album of the Year at the 2012 Nigeria Entertainment Awards. It was nominated for Album of the Year and Best R&B/Pop Album at The Headies 2012.[13]
| Year | Awards ceremony | Award description(s) | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Nigeria Entertainment Awards | Best Album of the Year | Won[14] |
| The Headies 2012 | Album of the Year | Nominated | |
| Best R&B/Pop Album | Nominated |
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Say My Name" | Ayodeji Balogun | E. Kelly | 3:46 |
| 2. | "No Lele" | Ayodeji Balogun | 3:38 | |
| 3. | "Scatter The Floor" | Ayodeji Balogun |
| 3:41 |
| 4. | "Pakurumo" | Ayodeji Balogun |
| 3:32 |
| 5. | "Slow Whine" (featuring Banky W) |
|
| 4:00 |
| 6. | "Love My Baby" | Ayodeji Balogun | 4:06 | |
| 7. | "Gidi Girl" | Ayodeji Balogun |
| 4:10 |
| 8. | "Oluwa Lo Ni" | Ayodeji Balogun |
| 3:24 |
| 9. | "Don't Dull" | Ayodeji Balogun |
| 4:39 |
| 10. | "Tease Me/Bad Guys" | Ayodeji Balogun |
| 3:08 |
| 11. | "Eme Boyz" (featuring Skales and Banky W) |
| 3:57 | |
| 12. | "What You Wanna Do?" | Ayodeji Balogun |
| 3:19 |
| 13. | "For Me" (featuring Wande Coal) |
|
| 3:45 |
| 14. | "Holla at Your Boy" | Ayodeji Balogun |
| 4:21 |
| 15. | "Wad Up" (featuring D'Prince) |
|
| 3:26 |
| 16. | "Shout Out" | Ayodeji Balogun |
| 2:44 |
| Total length: | 63:42 | |||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17. | "Wiz Party (Bonus Freestyle Leak)" | Ayodeji Balogun | 4:00 |
| Total length: | 4:00 | ||
Personnel
Credits adapted from the back cover of Superstar.
- Ayodeji Balogun – primary artist, executive producer, writer, performer
- Olubankole Wellington – executive producer, featured artist, producer, writer
- Segun Demuren – executive producer
- Tunde Demuren – assistant executive producer, A&R
- Stanley "Tino Benbel" Ekuro – assistant executive producer, A&R
- Raoul John Njeng-Njeng – featured artist, writer
- Charles Enebeli – featured artist, writer
- Oluwatobi Wande Ojosipe – featured artist, writer
- Samklef – producer
- E-Kelly – producer
- Jay Sleek – producer
- Sheyi Akerele – producer
- DJ Klem – producer
- Sunny (Masterkraft) Nweke – producer
- Q-Beats – producer
- Vebee – producer
- Foster Zeeno – mixed, mastering
- Brexx Bitaseme – recording engineer
- Osagie Osarenkhoe – management
- Seyi Charles George – photography
- Osa Seven – album artwork
- Uba Pacific – marketer, distributor
Release history
| Region | Date | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| Various | July 1, 2011 | CD, Digital download | Empire Mates Entertainment |
| Nigeria | June 12, 2011 |
References
- "Wizkid's "SuperStar" Album Cover & Tracklist". Korrectnation. Retrieved 22 August 2013.
- VERSATILE, LT. "Wizkid's "SuperStar" Album Cover & Tracklist". KorrectNation. Retrieved 15 July 2013.
- Seriki, Faridah Demola. "WizKid's Debut Album Second Best-Selling On NotJustOk". Technesstivity. Retrieved 15 July 2013.
- "FACTORY78 EXCLUSIVE - Wizkid interview". YouTube. Retrieved 27 October 2013.
- "360 Video Première: Wizkid – Holla At Your Boy". 360nobs. Retrieved 17 July 2013.
- "New Video: Wizkid – Tease Me/Bad Guys". BellaNaija. Retrieved 17 July 2013.
- "LEAK: AKON & Wizkid – Don't Dull Remix". Notjustok. Retrieved 6 September 2013.
- "BN Video Premiere: Wizkid – Pakurumo". BellaNaija. Retrieved 17 July 2013.
- "VIDEO: Wizkid – Oluwa Lo Ni". NotJustOk. Retrieved 25 July 2013.
- Aribaba. "Album Review: WizKid – SuperStar | Track Pick – Call My Name". Jaguda. Retrieved 15 July 2013.
- "Wizkid – SuperStar …Nigerian Listening E.A.R. (Essential Album Rating)". 360nobs. Retrieved 15 July 2013.
- "Ladies Love Wizkid – The Superstar [Album Review]". theNetNigeria. Retrieved 15 July 2013.
- "Hip Hop World Awards, HIP HOP WORLD AWARDS 2012, Official Winners list". HipHop World Magazine. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 23 November 2013.
- "Nigeria Entertainment Awards 2012! All The Winners". Jaguda. Retrieved 30 June 2013.
External links
- Superstar at AllMusic
- Superstar (Wizkid album) at Discogs (list of releases)