WurlD: The Afro-fusion Singer Looking to Put Africa on The Map
After making a name for himself as a songwriter in Atlanta, WurlD returned to his roots to position himself as one of the most distinct voices in African music.
Hello my people. Happy new year! What are your new year resolutions? Well, mine is to be more consistent. Wait. I’m joking. Not about being consistent. I mean I’m not a fan of new year nor Christmas and generally anything festive. I have often said maybe I have a problem because I’m totally not sentimental about many things.
I’ve spent most of this month thinking of which artist to write about. In all honesty, I’m somewhat tired of writing about artists. For some reason, I’m convinced that it has become boring. And there’s no way that it wouldn’t reflect in my writing. So, I have to be more experimental with this newsletter this year. I’m still curious about what kind of music related content you guys are particularly interested in.
Anyway, I still have my moments. Moments where an artist’s career sparks something inside of me. That doesn’t happen often and when it does, it’s mostly through live music. And I must say the artist this newsletter is about is one hell of a performer. A ridiculously talented performer.
Who is this artist? Let me relieve you of your curiosity. It is no other person than WurlD. I bet you didn’t expect that. Or maybe you even did. I’m just really happy to see that an artist I’ve known for some time can still somehow get me excited. It’s not a one day journey though, I must tell you that. I arrived at this point after experiencing him in different ways.
WurlD is interesting for so many reasons. The most remarkable reason being that in a room full of people, WurlD pulls attention from everyone around him without bating an eyelid. Maybe it’s jazz. Or it could be that the staggering amount of irresistible charm is so innate. His calm demeanour presents itself in subtle ways that automatically turn you into a spectator.
Where does all this hype lead us? Well, class, let’s try and break WurlD’s career down to see what all the fuss is about. From where I stand, WurlD is not a breakout star yet. Wait, let me explain. WurlD is not mainstream. Yes, he has a few songs that have gained some popularity and have even won him some fans. But there’s more to being a breakout act. However, the singer has given us gems that many mainstream acts simply cannot afford.
I apologize for the little detour there. My aim is to break WurlD’s career down, but I thought it was imperative that I make it clear that WurlD isn’t mainstream. Now, let’s move on. WurlD started out as a songwriter in Atlanta, writing songs for R&B and rap artists. Did he always want to be a songwriter? Not particularly. It was a strategy for him to build his skill set as an artist. It helped him achieve a level of versatility that several other artists only aspire to reach.
The quality of music that was being produced in Atlanta was a bit intimidating for WurlD at first. Coming from Nigeria where the lyrical content of songs didn’t matter much, the singer (who was born and raised in Mushin) had to put in efforts to make an impression in rooms full of elite songwriters. And that eventually yielded a positive result. He started to get recognition from artists such that they invited him to write songs in their studio sessions. He even wrote songs for Akon, Trinidad James, and B.o.B.
Sometime in 2012, WurlD released his debut single Beyond our Dream. It was how he started his career as an artist. He would also go ahead to release an EP titled Evolution. Throughout that time, he was finding himself as an artist and had yet to discover the direction he wanted to go.
When Davido and Shizzi moved to Atlanta due to the Sony deal that they signed, it turned out that they moved to the same neighbourhood as WurlD (although neither of them knew at the time). As fate would have it, WurlD’s friend, Kingsley, who was an artist as well, ran into Shizzi at the gym. They shared an understanding and Kingsley introduced Shizzi to WurlD afterwards. That was how Show You Off was made (Shizzi played an instrumental and WurlD went crazy on it). Walshy Fire of Major Lazer heard the song and was excited to be part of it.
Show You Off was the song that helped WurlD break into the African market. It was huge in this part of the world and it was a big blessing for WurlD as he wasn’t even in Nigeria at the time. The song was everywhere; on the radio, in the clubs. Around this time too, the blue-haired singer was getting traction in Eastern Europe as a result of a collaboration with DJ Gromee, who happened to be a frequent collaborator. They had a big song titled Follow You (it went gold) disrupting charts in that part of the world. As a result of this, WurlD was offered a Sony deal alongside Gromee, but he didn’t exactly accept the deal.
As Show You Off continued to gain ground in Africa, Nigeria especially, WurlD considered switching completely to making music tailored for the African audience. What inspired this decision? After working with various acts in the western world, including the likes of Timbaland, WurlD realized that he wasn’t getting his desired outcome. Many of the listeners in the US somehow weren’t paying any attention to his part on the songs he featured on.
WurlD’s music is chiefly characterized by elements of love and romance. On Show You Off, WurlD reached deep into his soul to unfurl his true feelings about showing a lover off. His music is usually a fusion of African pop and western RnB leanings. The singer’s sound is majorly influenced by music that isn’t predominantly African and so this is very evident in his music. However, when he released Contagious in 2018, it was an attempt (a successful one) at fusing the music he grew up on with the music he got exposed to in Atlanta. In that same year, he signed a record deal with Universal Music Group.
Contagious was fuji-esque and juju-esque, reminiscent of Shina Peters’ Afro-juju style. It helped prove that WurlD had it in him to become a household name here. In an interview with Joey Akan on Okay Africa, the singer admitted to being interested in pushing African music to global success. He worked with Shizzi on Contagious, with the producer masterfully experimenting with indigenous African sounds.
In 2019, WurlD released his sophomore EP, Love is Contagious, a 9-track tape that hinged on love, romance, and heartbreak. The EP contained three previously released singles including Show You Off (which was the project’s opener) and Contagious. Before the release of the EP, he released another single titled Paranoid. These songs hinted the message that the EP carried. With African-sounding percussion and vigorous trumpet sounds, WurlD transported us to a foreign world with his ethereal vocals. Both listeners and critics alike gave a nod to WurlD’s songwriting prowess on the project.
Towards the end of 2019, WurlD and Sarz came together to release a collaborative project titled I Love Girls With Trobul. The 8-track tape was a game changer for both WurlD and Sarz. In the sense of mainstream success, the project was a massive hit, with songs like Trobul and Mad becoming chart toppers. Trobul was released in 2018 when Sarz and WurlD first linked up. The chemistry they shared led to them working on the project.
According to Motolani of Pulse, “Lyrically, Wurld is a master purveyor of love; a conjurer of words for picture-esque representation. He commendably explores Sarz's endless sonic fields of different attractions.” The EP married a lot of genres ranging from RnB, Afrobeats, dancehall, and soul. While Sarz took his production skills to a different level altogether, WurlD matched the producer’s extraordinary talent with his poignant melodies and incredibly impressive songwriting. The EP’s major theme was about toxic women who are extremely difficult to resist, the intensity of the passion that exists in relationships with such women.
After Davido and Chris Brown’s Blow Your Mind was released, we learned that WurlD wrote the song. He was also featured on Davido’s Sweet in The Middle alongside Naira Marley and Zlatan Ibile. At this point, the singer was already finding a place in the Nigerian music industry. He began performing at shows in Lagos and thrilled people with his contagious energy.
2020 was a great year for music. His first offering of the year was a single titled Love Nobody. The single was a fusion of EDM and Afropop and it touched on a heterosexual relationship where the lovers involved are fully committed to one another and allow no room for cheating. It was produced by TMXO. WurlD also participated in directing the music video.
A few months later, WurlD met up with Spax and the record they made carried a message that was resonant with being a creative in a world where chasing your dream leaves you vulnerable to many things and how it is important to focus on that dream regardless. The lyrical depth of the song Ghost Town showcased WurlD’s ability to express human’s greatest emotions. The singer fulfiled a big purpose as an artist, using his music as an outlet to help people process their internal and external struggles.
The two songs set the precedent for the EP Afrosoul, which he released during the lockdown. Although this EP didn’t exactly take off, it was an attempt at something new for the singer. Afrosoul explored various topics such as self-awareness, heartbreak, survival, and on CAN’T COME OUTSIDE, he sang about the adverse effect of the pandemic. As it is typical with WurlD’s music, the songwriting on the project is top-notch. He worked with exceptionally talented producers like Kel P and Del B.
WurlD released a two-track EP in 2021 titled My World With U (WMMU) which contained Spunk and Stamina. It was practically his first release of the year and it came after the release of Afrosoul Deluxe towards the end of 2020. On Spunk, WurlD lets out his bad boy appeal, praising a girl for her sensuality. The instrumental was mid-tempo, with African percussion.
Stamina, an Amapiano-inspired record, saw the singer sing about being fascinated with a lady’s impressive stamina and physique. It’s a pop record that shook dance floors and WurlD’s charming vocals gave the song a special touch. The song featured Majorleague DJz and Luudedeejay. The music video was released sometime in December 2021. But he didn’t end the year there. Apparently, he had other plans and was going to enter 2022 with a bang.
WurlD rounded up the year with a P-Prime) produced single Let You Down. The song will be on his debut album that is (supposedly) set to drop before the end of the month. Let You Down is an uptempo track that details how the singer is keen on avoiding disappointing a lover and instead being there for her.
I think this year is going to be WurlD’s major breakout year. I can feel it in my bones. He already has a lot of things working for him, including his unique image and unequalled vocals.
This is the year that I scale this newsletter. One way or the other, we are going to make this thing work. I'm committed, now more than ever, to write to you as often as possible. Another great thing is that this year promises a lot for Nigerian music. I’ve already seen many link ups, from Omah Lay and Burna Boy to Fireboy and Wizkid. I hope you people are ready?