WizKid shares the tracks that inspired Sounds From The Other Side

[W]izKid’s global potential is about to be realised. Whilst the artist himself is purely focussed on making music, the Afro-Pop he pioneers has already been co-opted by multiple global superstars and is the go-to sound for summer ’17. Taking inspiration from hip-hop, contemporary pop, Afrobeat, dancehall and reggaeton, WizKid’s summer mixtape Sounds From The Other Side – released on July 9th – marks a turning point not just for an artist, but for the global pop phenomenon. 

Artists including Maleek Berry, Mr Eazi and Burna Boy, all of whom get namechecks from WizKid on the playlist below, share many of his sonic sensibilities, blending multiple genres into a sensual, rhythmic soundscape overlaid with unmissable pop hooks. Collectively those artists claim hundreds of millions of streams and followers, with recognition on the pop underground, on Afro-Pop scenes in major cities and in Africa. The release of Sounds From The Other Side might just take the sound one step further, firmly into the mainstream. Listen to the tracks that inspired the album below.