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Superstar (Wizkid album)

Superstar is the debut studio album by Nigerian singer Wizkid. It was released by Empire Mates Entertainment on June 12, 2011. The album's production was handled by Samklef, E-Kelly, Jay Sleek, Shizzi, DJ Klem, Masterkraft, Q-Beats, Banky W and Vebee. It features collaborations with Wande Coal, D'Prince, Banky W and Skales. Superstar was supported by the singles "Holla at Your Boy", "Tease Me/Bad Guys", "Don't Dull", "Love My Baby", "Pakurumo", and "Oluwa Lo Ni". It is the second best selling album on NotJustOk and was the most highly anticipated Nigerian album of 2011.

Background and composition

In an interview with Factory78 TV, Wizkid said the album was meant to be released on Valentine's Day, but was postponed due to preparations for a London gig. Musically, Superstar is a mixture of Afrobeats, R&B, dancehall and reggae. The album's themes deal primarily with starting from the bottom and reaching to the top, i.e. from grass to grace. In "No Lele", Wizkid talks about hustle and how he had to work hard to succeed. In "Say My Name", he talks about his success and how everyone now "calls his name". In "Wad Up", he is reminiscent about the time he used to get insulted by people who called him dirty. In "Shout Out", he thanked everyone who helped him become successful. In a nutshell, Wizkid describes his early life, particularly the hardships he endured and how he triumphant and made a name for himself. Wizkid also made references to God.

Singles

The album's lead single, "Holla at Your Boy", was released on January 2, 2010. The accompanying music video for the song, which was shot at Dowen College in Lekki, features cameo appearances from Skales and Ice Prince. "Tease Me/Bad Guys" was released on April 2, 2010, as the album's second single. Its music video was filmed by Kemi Adetiba at Aqua Nightclub in Abuja. The album's third single, Don't Dull", was released on December 4, 2010; the song's official remix features vocals by Akon and was leaked on October 26, 2011. "Love My Baby" was released on August 29, 2011, as the album's fourth single.

The album's fifth single, "Pakurumo", was released on December 10, 2011; the accompanying music video for the song features cameo appearances from Pasuma, Ali Baba, Tee-A, Funke Akindele, Skales, Lynxxx, Davido, Banky W, Pope Da Hitman, Tiwa Savage, Mo'Cheddah and Ice Prince. The music video for the album's sixth single "Oluwa Lo Ni", which was released on July 17, 2012, was shot in 3D by Eban Olivier of Mushroom Productions.

Critical reception

Superstar received generally positive reviews from music critics. A writer for the website Jaguda.com awarded the album 7 stars out of 10, describing it as "a sound album for an artist who has put out numerous profitable songs". A 360nobs contributor granted the album an overall verdict of 7.5 out of 10, saying it doesn't contain political themes and that its lyrical content doesn't border that of the Abami Eda. A Nigerian Entertainment Today writer gave the album 3 stars out of 5, commending Wizkid for "compressing albums 2 and 3 of his career into one CD" and saying the record "could be the beginning of something very special in Nigerian music".

Accolades

Superstar won Best Album of the Year at the 2012 Nigeria Entertainment Awards. It was nominated for Album of the Year and Best R&B/Pop Album at The Headies 2012.