“Essence” by Nigerian singer Wizkid, featuring Tems is now certified 4x Platinum in the U.S. by the Recording Industry Association Of America for selling 4,000,000 equivalent units in streams and sales.
The song which is the fourth single from Wizkid’s fourth studio album “Made In Lagos,” released on October 30, 2020 received the certification on February 14, 2024.
The music video for “Essence,” directed by Director K of PriorGold Pictures and produced by Leke Alabi Isama, was released on April 9, 2021. Shot in Accra, Ghana, it features Wizkid and Tems lounging in the streets, with Wizkid later seen in a car with two women.
Additionally, a remix of “Essence” featuring Justin Bieber was released on August 13, 2021, included in the deluxe edition of Wizkid’s album “Made in Lagos.” The song received numerous accolades, including wins at the All Africa Music Awards and the African Entertainment Awards USA.
“Essence” soared to impressive heights on charts across the world from the Canadian Hot 100, where it peaked at 30, to the Netherlands’ Single Top 100, securing position 76. In Sweden and in the United States, Essence peaked a number one Billboard Afrobeats Songs chart. It peaked at number 9 on the Hot 100.
Over in the UK, it peaked at 16 on the UK Singles chart and claimed the top spot on the UK Afrobeats Singles chart.
This widespread acclaim didn’t end with weekly rankings; on the year-end charts, it landed at 64 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in 2022.
Produced by P2J and Legendury Beatz, the song has surpassed 220 million streams on Spotify, Wizkid’s first song as leader to reach the milestone and his second song overall following Drake’s “One Dance” on which he is a featured artist.
One note “One Dance” was certified 7x Platinum in the U.K. on Friday February 9, 2024 in the U.K. for sales equivalents exceeding 4,200,000 in the country by the British Phonographic Industry.
One Dance is certified Diamond (11x Platinum) in the US for selling 11,000,000 units. Both songs are the No. 1 and No. 2 most successful acrobats songs in the US and the U.K
