Much-welcomed warm weather is the backdrop for Wizkid’s biggest UK show to date, fans flocking to White Hart Lane in anticipation of the anthems that Starboy has delivered over the course of his fruitful career. A regular in London, afrobeats supporters have come to look forward to Wizkid’s appearances, this stadium show upping the ante for a night that promised to be both intimate and electrifying.
Prefaced by groovy highlife sounds of Cavemen, the instrumentalists would later return, supporting Wiz throughout the show. Multifaceted American talent Masego similarly rocked his opening set with a dose of his traphousejazz sound.
Wizkid’s set seemingly delayed, the silver lining came in the form of the next set of performers. Nigerian OG Wande Coal met with roars of excitement as he loaded up hits like ‘Iskaba’, King Promise performed his latest single ‘Terminator’ and Cocainna hyping up the crowd with a dance moment.
A voice snippet from an interview with Dotty and Wizkid set the tone, as the stage prepared for the man-of-the-moment, discussing more love and less ego, the theme of his last album. Striking lights and flame effects erupt as ‘Reckless’ begins to play, with Wiz almost floating on an elevated section of the stage. Next up is timeless smash ‘Ojuelegba’ which reignited the exhilaration, and he gets into hip swaying drop ‘Fever’next.
True to the tour, the Nigerian superstar don’s live renditions from the ‘More Love Less Ego’ album – ‘Money & Love’, ‘Frames’ and ‘Eveyday’ – are the next string of tunes we hear. Despite a few stints of grey areas, Wizkid is able to bring it back and stir up a ground-swelling reaction as he gets into the classics, performing ‘Slow Down’, ‘Energy’ and ‘Come Closer’.
Next, he pivots back in seamless form to stand out from his renowned LP ‘Made In Lagos’, ‘True Love’ – before the crowd chant back lyrics to ‘The Matter’, ‘Tease Me’, ‘Don’t Dull’, and ‘Pakurumo’.
The sun now set and the night drawing to an end, we get a bubbling show of ‘Bad To Me’, while the first sounds of ‘Essence’ are instantly met with cheers – the mammoth track are true anthem of the set, DJ Tunez wheeling it up in the process. Just as we think the show is done, Wizkid shuts down with an encore of ‘Joro’. The show alone a huge feat for the decorated talent, over a decade into the game now, the night reflected his refinement with the stage graphics subtle but modestly glossy.
—
Words: Shanté Collier-McDermott
