Essence
by Wizkid (featuring Tems)

Album: Made In Lagos (2020)
Charted: 16 9
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Wizkid recruits his fellow Nigerian singer Tems for this blissful love song. It finds both artists expressing their desire for each other and the physical connection they have together. Their mutual attraction is summarized by Tems on the chorus when she sings:

    You don't need no other body
    Only you fi hold my body
  • Wizkid croons the introduction in Yoruba, the language of his people in Southwestern Nigeria.
  • Wizkid and Tems wrote "Essence." The Nigerian superstar's Starboy label producers, Legendury Beatz and P2J, supplied the euphoric Afropop production.
  • Starboy released the song as the fourth single from Made In Lagos. It became WizKid's first Hot 100 hit as the main artist, though he did previously chart as a featured artist on Drake's "One Dance" and Beyonce's "Brown Skin Girl."
  • DK of PriorGold Pictures directed the video, which sees Wizkid and Tems relaxing in the streets of Accra, Ghana.
  • On August 13, 2021, Wizkid released a remixed version with an additional feature from Justin Bieber, who sings a smooth romantic verse about his love story. Wiz famously worked with another Canada-born superstar, Drake, on the 2016 smash hit "One Dance."
  • Rolling Stone named "Essence" the best song of 2021. "Their performances are distinct yet seamless, joining together over a melange of '90s American R&B, UK Afroswing, and percussive Nigerian Afrobeats," the magazine wrote.
  • "Essence" became the first Nigerian song to reach the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. Admittedly, it probably wouldn't have reached the top tier without the help of Canadian pop star Justin Bieber's remix.
  • It appears Kanye West is a huge fan of this tune. In a post to his Instagram followers, Ye dubbed "Essence," the "best song in the history of music to date."
  • Made In Lagos became the all-time highest-charting Nigerian album on the Billboard 200, peaking at #28. Burna Boy's 2022 record Love, Damini, which reached #14 in 2022, surpassed it.

Comments: 1

  • Mi George from Trans AmadiDat song goes well
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Part of Their World: The Stories and Songs of 13 Disney Princesses

Part of Their World: The Stories and Songs of 13 Disney PrincessesSong Writing

From "Some Day My Prince Will Come" to "Let It Go" - how Disney princess songs (and the women who sing them) have evolved.

Jim McCarty of The Yardbirds

Jim McCarty of The YardbirdsSongwriter Interviews

The Yardbirds drummer explains how they created their sound and talks about working with their famous guitarists.

Martyn Ware of Heaven 17

Martyn Ware of Heaven 17Songwriter Interviews

Martyn talks about producing Tina Turner, some Heaven 17 hits, and his work with the British Electric Foundation.

American Hits With Foreign Titles

American Hits With Foreign TitlesSong Writing

What are the biggest US hits with French, Spanish (not "Rico Suave"), Italian, Scottish, Greek, and Japanese titles?

Ben Kowalewicz of Billy Talent

Ben Kowalewicz of Billy TalentSongwriter Interviews

The frontman for one of Canada's most well-known punk rock bands talks about his Eddie Vedder encounter, Billy Talent's new album, and the importance of rock and roll.

Jim Adkins of Jimmy Eat World

Jim Adkins of Jimmy Eat WorldSongwriter Interviews

Jim talks about the impact of "The Middle" and uses a tree metaphor to describe his songwriting philosophy.