Wizkid, Tems’ ‘Essence’ goes triple platinum in US
‘Essence’, the chart-topping hit by Wizkid featuring Tems, the songstress, has sold over 3 million units in the United States to be certified triple platinum.
According to information on the website of the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), the less than five-minute track reached the milestone on Friday.
The feat is coming at about the same time when the Grammy award-winning Nigerian singer put out his highly anticipated fifth album titled ‘More Love, Less Ego’.
Wizkid’s four studio albums include ‘Superstar’ (2011), ‘Ayo’ (2014), ‘Sounds From The Other Side’ (2017), and ‘Made In Lagos’ (2020).
‘Essence’ is a track from ‘Made in Lagos’. Since its release, the song has continued to break numerous records in the global music landscape.
On October 14, 2021, the song was certified platinum, while on March 2, 2022, it sold over 2 million units in the US to become double platinum.
In July last year, the project became the first Nigerian song to crack the Billboard Hot 100 as well as the third from Africa.
After four weeks, ‘Essence’ would record another leap, climbing by 23 spots on the Hot 100 to hit 59th place.
Wizkid also released a remix to the global hit, featuring Justin Bieber, the Canadian pop star.
The ‘Fever’ crooner recently said he wants to be remembered like Bob Marley, the late Jamaican music icon.
“I have one other aim for this new chapter, to live forever. Not physically, but for whatever I create to live forever,” he said while talking about a musical for Bob Marley’s ‘Get Up, Stand Up!’ he went to watch.
“Yo, we were watching a Bob Marley play and this guy died decades ago. I didn’t even know that he died at 36. He did so much at a young age.
“It just reaffirms what I do; I have to keep taking this to the highest heights. Because I know one day, they are definitely going to create a play about me.”
