Wizkid joins Davido at Sony Music

Wizkid (born Ayo Balogun) becomes the latest Nigerian pop artist signed to Sony Music’s subsidiary RCA Records following Davido and YCee, both of whom joined last year.

The ‘Ojuelegba’ singer is said to have signed a multi-album deal with Sony with the financial implications of the deal yet to be revealed. A song ‘Sweet Love’, along with its video, was released by the singer to accompany the news. The new song, said Wizkid, was inspired by his previous hit song, ‘Ojuelegba’.

"What’s important to me is for music to be real, authentic, raw and timeless,” said Wizkid in a statement to Billboard. “I don’t wanna be boxed in to any one genre."

For their part, RCA Records are enthusiastic about the deal. "We are thrilled to welcome WizKid to the RCA Records family,” said the company’s CEO Peter Edge. “He has become a superstar in the African music scene and will be a game-changer in bringing African music to the world. We are extremely excited to have him as a part of RCA and are eager for the journey ahead." 

Already, Sony is talking global domination. Adam Granite, Sony Music International president of Northern & Eastern Europe and Africa, said, “This is an incredibly important signing as we look to make Africa a major source of repertoire for the world. Wiz is a key ambassador for this movement and we look forward to helping him conquer the globe.”

The announcement means Sony Music now has in Wizkid and Davido, two of Africa’s biggest contemporary music stars - and perhaps Nigeria’s big two. While Davido has released an EP Son of Mercy under the label, Wizkid is said to be preparing an album for release in July.

Watch the new Wizkid video below: