‘Wizkid’s ‘Essence’ deserves a Grammy’ — Onanuga

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By Adegboyega Adeleye

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Special adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, has heaped praises on Nigerian Afrobeats stars, Wizkid and Tems, while expressing his disbelief over their hit song ‘Essence‘ loss at the Grammy Awards in 2022.

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The Presidential spokesperson reacted to the buzz around Wizkid and Tems’ electrifying performance during the weekend at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.

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“Still wondering why Essence did not win a Grammy. Great song, great rhythm!” Onanuga wrote on X, sharing a clip of the track’s scintillating performance during the first weekend of Coachella.

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This year’s Coachella festival runs over two weekends: April 10–12 and April 17–19, 2026, at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California.

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Over the weekend, Canadian pop star Justin Bieber surprised the crowd by allowing Wizkid and Tems to join him on stage for a live rendition of the remix.

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‘Essence’ first dropped in 2020 as a collaboration between Wizkid and Tems. It is the 11th track of Wizkid’s fourth studio album, ‘Made In Lagos.’

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It was followed by a remix with Justin Bieber, which featured in the Deluxe version of the album in 2021.

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The track earned a nomination at the 2022 Recording Academy Awards in the ‘Best Global Music Performance’ category. Wizkid, however, lost the category to Pakistani singer-songwriter Arooj Aftab for her song “Mohabbat.” His album, ‘Made in Lagos’, was also nominated for Best Global Music Album, but he lost the category to Beninese icon Angélique Kidjo.

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However, both Wizkid and Tems are Grammy winners. In 2021, Wizkid won the Best Music Video category for his feature on Beyoncé’s “Brown Skin Girl” (from The Lion King: The Gift album).

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Tems is currently the Nigerian artist with the most Grammy wins. In 2023, she won the Best Melodic Rap Performance category for her feature on Future’s “Wait for U” (alongside Drake), and in 2025, she also won the Best African Music Performance category for her song “Love Me Jeje”.

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