Wizkid’s duet with Tems, “Essence,” has been placed at No. 5 on Billboard’s 50 Best Afrobeats Songs of All Time, a fresh nod to the song’s staying power four years after it first appeared on Made in Lagos (2020).
Built on feather-light percussion, warm horns, and an unfussy groove, “Essence” lets Wizkid’s velvet lead and Tems’ smoky harmonies glide in lockstep—an intimate conversation set to rhythm. The 2021 Justin Bieber remix supercharged its reach, helping the record crack the U.S. Hot 100 top 10 and turning it into a global streaming staple.
Wizkid
Awards bodies followed suit. “Essence” earned Grammy and Soul Train nominations and collected wins at the 2022 NAACP Image Awards and BET Awards, milestones that marked both Wizkid’s mature artistry and Tems’ breakout.
Billboard says its ranking weighs style, local popularity, regional growth, cultural impact, and commercial success, with a three-song cap per artist to reflect the genre’s range. Within that frame, “Essence” stands as a modern classic—proof that Afrobeats can be both delicately crafted and undeniably universal.
