Wizkid’s hit song ‘Ojuelegba’ clocks 10

Spotify, the streaming platform, has celebrated the 10th anniversary of ‘Ojuelegba’, a hit song by Wizkid. 

‘Ojuelegba’ was released in 2014 as part of Wizkid’s second studio album ‘Ayo’.

The award-winning song was written by Wizkid and produced by Legendury Beatz. In February 2015, ‘Ojuelegba’ peaked at the top of Capital Xtra’s Afrobeats chart.

In a statement on Tuesday, Spotify described ‘Ojuelegba’ as “a song that helped define the global rise of Afrobeats” and “a gateway for many international listeners into Nigerian music”.

It added that for 10 years, the song has continued to resonate with millions of listeners worldwide.

Spotify also released a one-minute video to “show the public acceptance of the song and how it has motivated Ojuelegba residents”.

According to the streaming platform, Ojuelegba has achieved over 55 million streams as of April 2024.

In the last decade, data on Spotify showed the United States, United Kingdom, France, Nigeria, and the Netherlands are the top five streamers of ‘Ojuelegba’.

Lagos tops the list of cities listening to the song on the music platform followed by London, Port Harcourt, Abuja, and Nairobi.

The statement added that the song has solidified Wizkid’s legacy as one of Africa’s most influential artistes.

“Ojuelegba is popular amongst audiences of all ages, with its largest demographic in the past year being listeners aged 18-24 (43% of streams), highlighting its ongoing relevance to today’s youth. The song has also drawn significant interest from older listeners, with 23% of plays coming from the 25-29 age group, and 13% from those aged 30-34,” the statement reads in part.

“From reaching 1 million streams in August 2015 to crossing the 10 million mark by January 2018, Ojuelegba’s journey to over 55 million streams on Spotify a decade later, reflects the global growth of Afrobeats and its increasing presence on the world stage.”

The lyrics, it stated, capture the essence of Wizkid’s journey, blending the vibrancy of Lagos street culture with a message of resilience and hope.

Wizkid, born Ayodeji Balogun, gained prominence in 2011 when he released his debut album ‘Superstar’.

He has released four additional albums including, ‘Ayo’, ‘Sound From The Other Side’ in 2017, ‘Made In Lagos’ in 2020, and ‘More Love, Less Ego’ in 2022.

He recently hinted that he will release his sixth album ‘Morayo’ in October as a tribute to his late mother.