Sounds from the Other Side

2017 studio album by Wizkid
Sounds from the Other Side
Studio album by
Wizkid
ReleasedJuly 14, 2017
Recorded2014–2017[1]
Genre
  • Afrobeats
  • EDM
  • R&B
  • house
  • dancehall
Length40:00
Label
  • Starboy
  • RCA
Producer
  • Sarz
  • Del B
  • Spellz
  • Major Lazer
  • Picard Brothers
  • DJ Maphorisa
  • DJ Mustard
Wizkid chronology
Ayo
(2014) 		Sounds from the Other Side
(2017) 		Made in Lagos
(2020)
Singles from Sounds from the Other Side
  1. "Daddy Yo"
    Released: December 23, 2016
  2. "Sweet Love"
    Released: March 2, 2017
  3. "Come Closer"
    Released: March 31, 2017
  4. "African Bad Gyal"
    Released: June 9, 2017
  5. "Naughty Ride"
    Released: June 23, 2017

Sounds from the Other Side (abbreviated as SFTOS) is the third studio album and major label debut by Nigerian singer Wizkid. Described by the singer as an EP, the album contains songs that were recorded between 2014 and 2017.[1] It was released on July 14, 2017, by Starboy Entertainment and RCA Records.[2][3] Primarily a Caribbean-influenced record, SFTOS encompasses several other genres, including Afrobeats, EDM, R&B, and house.[4] The album features guest appearances from Drake, Major Lazer, Chris Brown, Ty Dolla Sign, Efya, Bucie and Trey Songz.[5] Its production was handled by Sarz, Del B, Spellz, Dre Skull, DJ Mustard, Major Lazer, and the Picard Brothers.

The album was made available for purchase and online streaming on several music platforms, including Apple Music, Amazon Music, Spotify, Deezer and Google Play. SFTOS debuted at number 107 on the US Billboard 200.[6] It also debuted at number 58 on the Canadian Albums Chart. The album's release was preceded by three singles: "Daddy Yo" featuring Efya, "Sweet Love", and "Come Closer" featuring Drake. "African Bad Gyal" was released alongside the pre-order of the album on June 9, 2017,[7] and "Naughty Ride" was released as a promotional track on June 23, 2017.[8]

Background and recording

Sounds from the Other Side was recorded between 2014 and 2017.[1] Wizkid first announced plans for the album during a visit to Capital Xtra in October 2014.[9] He told DJ Abrantee that the album's first single would be titled "African Bad Gyal" and would feature Chris Brown.[9] According to The Fader magazine, English rapper Tinie Tempah and Beninese singer-songwriter Angélique Kidjo would also be featured on the album.[10] In September 2015, Wizkid revealed he was dropping an EP and postponing the album's release.[11] Since making this revelation, Wizkid has used the terms EP and mixtape interchangeably to refer to Sounds from the Other Side. In a video published on May 3, 2017, he told DJ Semtex he considers the album to be a mixtape while in another interview with Ebro Darden on Beats 1 radio, he called it an EP.[1] Wizkid told XXL magazine he recorded "One for Me" and "Dutty Wine" with Ty Dolla Sign in Los Angeles.[12] The latter song was completed in December 2016.[12] He also said he recorded "African Bad Gyal" with Chris Brown in Los Angeles.[10] In April 2017, Wizkid told BBC News that "Come Closer" was recorded around the same time as "One Dance", but was not released because the album was not ready.[13]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
YNaijaA[14]
Pitchfork7.4/10[15]
Exclaim!7/10[16]
NotJustOk6/10[17]
Rolling Stone[18]

Sounds from the Other Side received generally positive reviews from critics. Writing for Rolling Stone, Brittany Spanos stated: "On his own, Wizkid turns his Afropop into a meeting point for a host of party-starting dance styles, getting a dancehall assist from Major Lazer on "Naughty Ride," bringing in Chris Brown for the reggaeton-inflected "African Bad Gyal" and hooking back up with Drake for the sensual "Come Closer'", giving it three out of five stars.[18] Claire Lobenfeld of Pitchfork wrote: "Wizkid is primed to carry Afrobeats to great heights" and scored the album 7.4/10.[15] Exclaim!'s Erin Lowers writes that Sounds from the Other Side hits the mark for catchy summer anthems, and pays tribute to the sounds that have subsequently carried Afrobeats across the world for the past few years."[16] In a review for The Star newspaper, Davies Ndolo called Wizkid a "globalist" and said SFTOS is the singer's "most grounded and focused work yet".[19]

Reviewing for HotNewHipHop, Maxwell Cavaseno said Wizkid "never sounds entirely out of place" despite the album being "thwarted by the misguided nobility of a hit-seeking agenda".[20] Oluwatosin Adeshokan, a freelance journalist for YNaija, gave the album an A rating, describing it as a versatile project that marries a lot of sounds to "give a feel good vibe".[14] Joey Akan of Pulse Nigeria described SFTOS as a "well-crafted, one-dimensional pop dance project that is all about vibes than actual substance".[21] Sabo Kpade of OkayAfrica called SFTOS a "true afro-fusion album, well-balanced between world conquering ambitions and the culture whence it came".[22] In a less enthusiastic review for NotJustOk, Tola Sarumi described the album as a "collection of songs that chart the artist’s travails from 'Ojuelegba' to now". Moreover, Sarumi said the album lacks "an overarching sound and feel" and that the other side is "essentially the listener".[17]

Accolades

Sounds from the Other Side won Best R&B/Pop Album and was nominated for Album of the Year at The Headies 2018.[23]

Year Awards ceremony Award description(s) Results
2018 24th South African Music Awards Best African Artist Album Nominated
The Headies Best R&B/Pop Album Won
Album of the Year Nominated

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Sweet Love"Ayodeji BalogunSarz3:23
2."Come Closer" (featuring Drake)
  • Balogun
  • Aubrey Graham
Sarz3:31
3."Naughty Ride" (featuring Major Lazer)
  • Balogun
  • Clement Picard
  • Maxime Picard
3:12
4."African Bad Gyal" (featuring Chris Brown)Sarz3:25
5."Daddy Yo" (featuring Efya)
Dre Skull2:40
6."One for Me" (featuring Ty Dolla Sign)Spellz3:26
7."Picture Perfect"BalogunSpellz2:30
8."Nobody"BalogunDel B3:49
9."Sexy"BalogunSpellz3:07
10."All for Love" (featuring Bucie)DJ Maphorisa4:25
11."Dirty Wine" (featuring Ty Dolla Sign)
  • Balogun
  • Griffin, Jr.
DJ Mustard, Twice as Nice3:01
12."Gbese" (featuring Trey Songz)Del B3:01
Total length:40:00

Notes

  • "Sweet Love" contains elements of "Shakara (Oloje)", written and performed by Fela Kuti.[22]
  • "Naughty Ride" features an interpolation of "Ride Natty Ride", performed by Bob Marley and the Wailers.[24]
  • "One for Me" contains a sample of "You're the One", written and performed by SWV. It also features background vocals by Sevyn Streeter.[22]
  • "Sexy" features background vocals by Efya.[25]

Charts

Chart performance for Sounds from the Other Side
Chart (2017) Peak
position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[26] 152
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[27] 200
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[28] 58
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[29] 99
French Albums (SNEP)[30] 140
UK Albums (OCC)[31] 91
US Billboard 200[32] 107
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[33] 5
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[34] 47
US World Albums (Billboard)[35] 2

References

  1. ^ a b c d Burney, Lawrence (July 20, 2017). "Can Wizkid Break into America Without Changing Who He Is?". Noisey. Archived from the original on July 28, 2017. Retrieved July 27, 2017.
  2. ^ "WizKid's 'Sounds From The Other Side' Available Everywhere Today". Sony Music Entertainment. July 14, 2017. Archived from the original on July 28, 2017. Retrieved July 27, 2017.
  3. ^ Renshaw, David. "Listen To WizKid's Sounds From The Other Side Album". The FADER. Archived from the original on July 28, 2017. Retrieved July 27, 2017.
  4. ^ Akan, Joey (July 17, 2017). "How 'Sounds From The Other Side' mixtape shows growth from 'Ayo (Joy)' album". Pulse. Archived from the original on July 28, 2017. Retrieved July 27, 2017.
  5. ^ "Sounds From the Other Side by Wizkid on Apple Music". iTunes. Archived from the original on July 18, 2017. Retrieved July 27, 2017.
  6. ^ Akan, Joey (July 25, 2017). ""Sounds From The Other Side" debuts on Billboard Hot 200 chart". Pulse Nigeria. Archived from the original on July 28, 2017. Retrieved July 27, 2017.
  7. ^ Fresh, Mikey. "Wizkid And Chris Brown Are On The Hunt For An "African Bad Gyal"". Vibe. Archived from the original on July 28, 2017. Retrieved July 28, 2017.
  8. ^ Rishty, David (June 23, 2017). "Major Lazer Assists WizKid on New Song 'Naughty Ride'". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 28, 2017. Retrieved July 28, 2017.
  9. ^ a b "Wizkid Reveals His New Album Includes Chris Brown Collaboration Called 'African Bad Girl'". Capital Xtra. October 5, 2014. Archived from the original on July 28, 2017. Retrieved July 28, 2017.
  10. ^ a b Okumu, Phiona (November 19, 2015). "Wizkid Is Getting The Global Embrace He Deserves". The Fader. Archived from the original on July 28, 2017. Retrieved July 28, 2017.
  11. ^ Ajose, Kehinde (September 26, 2015). "How 2face made Wizkid postpone his album release". Vanguard. Archived from the original on July 28, 2017. Retrieved July 28, 2017.
  12. ^ a b Madden, Sidney (July 20, 2017). "WizKid Breaks Down His Hip-Hop Collabs on 'Sounds From the Other Side' Project". XXL. Archived from the original on July 29, 2017. Retrieved July 28, 2017.
  13. ^ Holden, Steve (April 18, 2017). "Wizkid: Drake always shows me love". BBC. Archived from the original on May 28, 2017. Retrieved July 28, 2017.
  14. ^ a b Oluwatosin Adeshokan (15 July 2017). "Music Review: Wizkid's Sounds From The Other Side Is Versatility At Its Best". YNaija. Archived from the original on 11 August 2017. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
  15. ^ a b Lobenfeld, Claire (August 1, 2017). "WizKid Sounds from the Other Side". Archived from the original on August 1, 2017. Retrieved August 2, 2017.
  16. ^ a b Lowers, Erin (July 21, 2017). "WizKid Sounds From the Other Side – Exclaim!". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on August 3, 2017. Retrieved August 2, 2017.
  17. ^ a b Tola Sarumi (2 August 2017). "Mixtape Review: Wizkid – Sounds From The Other Side". NotJustOk. Archived from the original on 11 August 2017. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
  18. ^ a b Spanos, Brittany. "Review: WizKid's Major Label Debut Is a Border-Blurring Dance Party". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on July 26, 2017. Retrieved July 27, 2017.
  19. ^ Davies Ndolo (29 July 2017). "Album Review: Wizkid's "Sounds From the Other Side"". The Star. Archived from the original on 11 August 2017. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
  20. ^ Maxwell Cavaseno (20 July 2017). "Wizkid's "Sounds From The Other Side" (Review)". Hot New Hip Hop. Archived from the original on 11 August 2017. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
  21. ^ Akan, Joey (13 July 2017). "Wizkid crosses over in "Sounds From The Other Side" mixtape". Pulse Nigeria. Archived from the original on 11 August 2017. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
  22. ^ a b c Kpade, Sabo (July 25, 2017). "'Sounds From The Other Side' Cements Wizkid As A Global Concern". OkayAfrica. Archived from the original on July 28, 2017. Retrieved July 28, 2017.
  23. ^ Praise, Billy (5 May 2018). "The HEADIES 2018: Full List Of Winners". Guardian Life. Archived from the original on 28 March 2019. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
  24. ^ "Wizkid Interpolates A Bob Marley Classic On His New Song "Naughty Ride"". Genius. July 14, 2017. Archived from the original on July 15, 2017. Retrieved July 26, 2017.
  25. ^ Tobi Alàáká (21 July 2017). "Wizkid – Sounds from the Other Side". Music in Africa. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
  26. ^ "Ultratop.be – Wizkid – Sounds from the Other Side" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 28, 2017.
  27. ^ "Ultratop.be – Wizkid – Sounds from the Other Side" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  28. ^ "Wizkid Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 28, 2017.
  29. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Wizkid – Sounds from the Other Side" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 28, 2017.
  30. ^ "Le Top de la semaine : Top Albums – SNEP (Week 29, 2017)" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved July 28, 2017.
  31. ^ "Wizkid | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved July 28, 2017.
  32. ^ "Wizkid Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved July 28, 2017.
  33. ^ "Wizkid's 'Sounds From The Other Side' cracks Billboard top albums chart". lifestyle.thecable.ng. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  34. ^ "Wizkid Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 28, 2017.
  35. ^ "Wizkid Chart History (World Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 28, 2017.
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