“Essence,” a song from Wizkid’s fourth album “Made In Lagos,” became one of the most popular Afrobeats tracks exported worldwide after experiencing enormous international success.
Another achievement is that “Essence” has sold more than four million units in the US, earning it a platinum plaque from the RIAA.
‘Essence’ featuring Tems has been commercially successful since its release in 2020, particularly in the US where the Justin Bieber remix helped it soar to No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100.
“Essence,” widely regarded as Kanye West’s finest song ever recorded, took home the Collaboration of the Year trophy at the 2021 BET Awards. Additionally, it was a nominee for Best Global Song Performance at the 64th Grammy Awards.
Tems’s single would also make her a global celebrity, catapulting her into financial prosperity. Following her appearance on “Essence,” Tems made history by becoming the first female Nigerian artist to premiere a song on the Billboard Hot 100 and the first to debut at number one on the chart with Future’s “Wait For U.” She also became the first female Nigerian musician to win a Grammy.
Tems stated that while she was “happy” with her original recording of the song, she thought her verse could have been better when the song gained fame. Her vocals were excellent, in Wizkid and his team’s opinion, therefore they decided to keep it. When Tems was in Los Angeles, he remembered hearing the song “In the most random places”.
Afrobeats/Afro-pop and R&B song “Essence” Lyrically, depicts Tems and Wizkid longing for a physical relationship; It is described as a “flirtatious” tune, and the performers display “tongue-in-cheek showboating” in. Tems sings the chorus of the song, which has the lines “You don’t need no other body,” about how only her partner can give her the sense of “lust and obsession and worship that she deserves,” as noted by NPR’s Sidney Madden. ” You don’t need no other body”.