Can Wizkid’s New Album “More Love, Less Ego” Reciprocate the Impact and Success of “Made in Lagos,” or Is It Too Much to Ask Even With Its Ostensibly Chart-Topping Tracks?
A lot of effort has gone into determining who the true king of Afrobeats is, and as various fan factions continue to argue over who they believe deserves to take home the crown, the floodgates of more afrobeat-inspired music have opened, and there is an endless outpouring of music so fine you want to chew it!
While it is fine to argue, there has never been any doubt about Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun alias Wizkid’s pioneering role in shaping the industry into what it is today. Most are of the opinion that the track “Ojuelgba”, off of his 2014 self-titled 2nd studio album “Ayo,” which was produced by Legendury Beatz, was his breakthrough track, and they are not wrong. This track put the industry on high alert for someone who went on to make afrobeats a globally revered sound; the industry is now thriving in huge part because of the role played by this ingenious prodigy!
Wizkid released his 4th studio album, “Made in Lagos,” on October 2020 to record-breaking success. The standout track “Essence” featuring Nigerian songstress Tems shattered every available record and topped musical charts back to back like nobody’s business! It even got a special remix featuring internationally acclaimed pop star Justin Bieber.
When Wizkid announced on his last day on tour that he would be releasing his 5th studio album, “More Love, Less Ego,” his millions of fans were eager and couldn’t keep calm; – their ears and souls itching for that quenching dose of music from their cherished superstar!
This album was fronted by the lead single “Bad to Me” and the promotional single “Money & Love.” The entire project was dropped on November 11, 2022, much to the relief of the impatient fans.
“More Love, Less Ego” is a 13-track compilation with guest appearances from Ayra Starr, Skillibeng, Shenseea, Skepta, Naira Marley and Don Toliver. So far, the album has been critically acclaimed, with top tracks such as “2 Sugar” and “Wow” dominating charts globally.
“2 Sugar” brings Nigerian high-flying queen Ayra Star on board, and together, they engineer a timeless masterpiece. I honestly believe that Wizkid uses some magic to choose the right female collaborators for his tracks; at this point, it kind of defies all odds how good it is; from Tems to Justin Skye and now Ayra Starr, it is no coincidence at all, magic is involved somehow, and you can’t convince me otherwise!
In this beguiling tune, they complement one another so naturally as to authenticate a very addictive jam that feels sweet and really colorful. The hooks are very infectious, and the blend between the vocals and the articulate afro beats is just top-notch. This is the kind of music that takes its time, growing on people gently, and then all of a sudden everyone can’t keep it off their playlist!
“Money & Love” sees Wizkid being really sensual and composed, as his R&B crooning vocals blend favorably with the flow of the beats. He kind of just moves with the flow, and the beats really flow like water.
“Bad to Me” is another eclectic banger. It has a slight melodic similarity to his “Soco” song, which was mixed and mastered with the sparkling Amapaino beats to make a very sobering and rapturous melody that you can dance to all night long.
“Wow” sees Wiz bring British-Nigerian grime MC and rapper Skepta and Nigerian wonder kid Skepta for a very memorable performance. Their energies bounce off one another, with the rap bars spectacularly melding with the afro-pop vibe to alluring effect.
There is so much to excite a listener throughout this valuable collection, and while it’s still in its early stages, nothing has suggested its impending topple over “Made in Lagos”; I just think it will take some beating to plummet its impact. For now, we just have to take “More Love, Less Ego” as it is and run with it!
Originally from Michigan and now based in Philadelphia, Digital Guts is an artist who embraces anonymity, keeping attention on the music rather than the person behind it. That sense of mystery fits naturally with a deeply DIY approach. The self-titled 7-track album “Digital Guts” is a fascinating, genre-bending project, connecting an underground electronic and emo aesthetic with experimental, sample-heavy instrumental structures. The result feels committed to sonic exploration, with arrangements that resist cookie-cutter formulas and a production style that shifts deliberately from one track to the next.
Opener “Angels Ball Out” sets the record in motion with a grand introduction. Its beat leans heavily on clever, layered sampling, creating a textured foundation that feels nostalgic while remaining distinctly underground. The rhythm settles into a smooth, loop-centered hip-hop bounce. It functions almost like an overture, especially once the album reaches its final track, “Bye Bye,” which cleverly returns to “Angels Ball Out” through a full-circle structural reverse play. Weightless, ethereal, and triumphant, the opener creates a cinematic entryway into the album’s universe.
The second track, “Goth Girl,” moves directly toward darker alternative subcultures, driven by a shadowy trap bounce and alluring vocals. A deeply calming, hypnotic instrumental backdrop balances the vocal loop, while the rhythm stays slow, deliberate, and swaying. Much of the vocal cadence circles around one lingering question, “What you see in me?” At a faster tempo, that repetition might become tedious. Here, it works beautifully, drawing a comparison to Rihanna’s “Pour It Out,” filtered through a more gothic atmosphere.
What comes through is deep longing, melancholia, and romantic fixation. The restrained beat strengthens the sense of emotional vulnerability and keeps the listener absorbed in the atmospheric space surrounding the voice.
Third track “Broken” marks a huge sonic pivot. The smooth sampling falls away as the production dives headfirst into aggressive electronic hip-hop, powered by high-energy UK drum and bass patterns. The rhythm is high-octane, frenetic, and relentless. Its chaotic cadence recalls early The Prodigy and the aggressive electronic-punk style associated with Wargasm UK.
The mood is erratic, anxious, and explosive. “Broken” captures the sensation of mental fracturing or inner chaos, pushing the album’s energy suddenly into overdrive.
Another standout from the album is “cryonme,” easily its most experimental and polarizing track. The production is intensely maximalist, with so many elements moving at once that the beat can feel intentionally at odds with the underlying tone. Its eccentric layering carries a distinct art-pop Gorillaz influence, while hyper-pulsating electronic details become one of the track’s defining characteristics.
The rhythm is disjointed and constantly shifting. “cryonme” is among the album’s more lyric-driven moments, asking the listener to follow the vocal cadence through a maze of competing instrumental sounds. The mood is melodramatic, eccentric, and overwhelming. It resembles emotional overload poured into a blender, producing a surreal and slightly chaotic listening experience.
“Dreams” is a synthetic masterpiece, hauntingly beautiful throughout and capable of leaving a desirable aftertaste long after its final notes fade.
This, ladies and gentlemen, is the story of Digital Guts’ “Digital Guts,” streaming now on popular digital platforms.
Right now, gospel artist Harmoni Allen’s work reflects the transformative power of faith, with vulnerability, triumph, encouragement, and Christ-centered hope running through her music. Her warm vocals, expressive delivery, and deeply personal storytelling give that message a human center. Drawing from lived experience and testimony, she turns questions of faith, healing, freedom, resilience, and hope into songs that feel intimate without losing their uplifting spirit.
Harmoni Allen’s “Schitzo” is a sincere, soul-stirring track built around a deeply personal subject. Short for schizophrenia, the song opens an intimate conversation about mental well-being, judgment, fear, vulnerability, and the struggle to feel free in a world that can be quick to define people from the outside. Harmoni does not keep the subject at a safe distance. She brings the listener directly into the experience, shaping the song as a confession that feels immediate and exposed.
The accompanying music video establishes that vulnerability from its opening moments. Harmoni sits alone on her front porch, drinking water, visibly troubled and seemingly asking herself whether she is truly okay. Nearby, two women watch her from a distance. Their expressions communicate the judgment and assumptions that sit at the center of the song. Without speaking, they capture a painful reality: people can decide who someone is before taking the time to understand what that person may be going through.
Looking for answers, Harmoni calls a friend and heads to a hospital. The song then unfolds inside a psychiatrist’s office, where she is asked, “So, Miss Allen, what brings you to my office today?” Her answer becomes the emotional core of “Schitzo.” The music takes over, developing into a slow-burning, soulfully rich R&B confession carried by Harmoni’s heavenly, deeply vulnerable vocals.
Verse by verse, Harmoni reveals the strain of living under the gaze of people who may fear, misunderstand, or judge what they cannot see. She sings about people being scared of her, watching from afar, the medicines she takes, and the exhausting burden of being viewed through a label instead of recognized as a human being. Inside that pressure, however, comes a moment of release. She looks into the mirror, sits on the bed, takes a breath, and arrives at the realization that she is free.
That realization does not magically change the world around her. People still look at her the same way. Their assumptions remain. This is where “Schitzo” broadens into something many listeners can recognize, the understanding that other people’s perceptions do not get to define your identity, your worth, or your destiny.
Harmoni’s faith gives that idea its foundation. Beneath the emotional turbulence is a steady conviction that God has the last say. People may judge from afar, attach labels, and make assumptions based on appearance, yet those opinions do not determine the course of someone’s life. For Harmoni, faith creates a space where judgment begins to lose its hold and freedom becomes possible.
Musically, “Schitzo” carries the same emotional weight as its subject. The production settles into a slow-burning R&B groove that gives Harmoni’s voice room to breathe, ache, and communicate. Her soulful delivery has a nostalgic warmth, while smooth layers of vocal harmony wrap around the lead with an almost heavenly glow. The arrangement remains restrained, keeping the storytelling in clear focus instead of crowding it with unnecessary drama. Harmoni shifts naturally between fragility and quiet strength, making the performance feel close enough to resemble a private conversation across the room.
“Schitzo” ultimately centers on being seen, being misunderstood, finding your breath again, and recognizing that freedom can survive other people’s judgment.
When the final note fades, Harmoni Allen leaves behind the message that has guided the song from the beginning: people may have their opinions, but God has the final say!
Based in Malta, composer Serag Baddar turns a long-held guitar idea into something intimate and absorbing on “Limerence.” The post-rock track grew from a riff he wrote 15 years ago, with one section carrying a subtle nod to Buckethead’s “Padmasana,” whose rhythm guitar left a clear impression on Baddar.
Crisp, mellow, and atmospheric, “Limerence” moves through clean guitar layers and an ethereal sense of space. Silken vocals shimmer underneath, adding a restrained melancholy that suggests heartbreak without overwhelming the arrangement.
Baddar’s background in heavy metal remains important to the song, even as he strips away high-gain distortion and conventional vocal delivery. In their place, structure and melody do most of the emotional work. At the center is a clean, melodic guitar riff designed to flow ergonomically across the fretboard, giving the performance a natural physical ease.
The quieter acoustic and clean passages of progressive metal are an obvious reference point. Opeth and Tool, two bands that have shaped Baddar’s style, can be heard in the track’s sense of structure and restraint. Its spacious ambient textures also draw from the accessible melodic soundscapes associated with instrumental artists such as Buckethead. “Padmasana” is especially relevant, with its rhythm guitar inspiring a small section of “Limerence.”
The pacing is deliberate and unhurried, in keeping with post-rock’s slow-burn character. Its rhythmic framework stays steady, patient, and evocative, giving the central guitar melody room to breathe. Notes are allowed to ring out and decay naturally rather than being crowded by unnecessary movement.
Much of the song’s appeal comes from that simplicity. The arrangement avoids excessive time-signature gymnastics and settles into a smooth, approachable cadence that strengthens its hypnotic quality. That choice suits the meaning behind “Limerence,” the intense and involuntary psychological state of romantic obsession and infatuation that Baddar seeks to capture emotionally.
Because the released track is a “demo” mix, it retains a raw, unpolished authenticity. That texture fits Baddar’s philosophy of “writing for dopamine,” prioritizing emotional resonance and the organic “magic” of a creative spark over pristine, heavily compressed commercial engineering.
The result is intimate and thoughtful. It feels reflective and deeply personal, like a bedroom guitarist finally translating a 15-year-old teenage memory into a cohesive, immersive piece of music. The closing stretch brings the song’s crisp, clean, haunting guitar riff into sharper focus, giving the track a fitting climax and reminding us how much of its emotional weight rests on that original idea.
Baddar waited until he felt his technical ability and musical vision had matured enough to do the riff justice before recording and releasing it. He approaches music as a philosophical hobby, creating for the pleasure of the craft rather than under commercial pressure.
Taken as a whole, “Limerence” is an accomplished, carefully felt performance worth spending time with. It is streaming now.