Surprisingly, only one African song made it onto Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. The track is "Essence," a collaboration between Nigerian artists Wizkid and Tems.

When monthly magazine Rolling Stone released its latest list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time with only one African song included, the editors may have been wrong about the quantity, but they were right about the quality of their choice: "Essence."

The track, a collaboration between Nigerian artists Wizkid and Tems, is one of the most significant African songs of the past decade. Yet, nothing initially suggested it would achieve such massive success.

Released in 2020 as one of 14 tracks on Wizkid's album Made in Lagos, "Essence" was initially overshadowed by the buzz around the high-energy song "Ginger." Within weeks, however, "Essence" began to gain traction with both the public and music critics. Rapper Kanye West even called it the greatest song in the history of music.

Anatomy of a Landmark Song

"Essence" begins like many of Wizkid's songs, with the singer establishing a core theme with his voice over the opening instrumental. But at precisely the 19-second mark, a voice still largely unknown to the public delivered a verse that would forever change the trajectory of her career. Tems, a then-emerging Nigerian artist, infused the song with a rare vocal depth. Her contribution added a layer of warmth and mystery that elevated the track.

At the time, Tems had only recorded three songs. At 29, she had left a job in digital marketing to pursue her lifelong passion for music. Few people knew her story then, but her performance on "Essence" told listeners everything they needed to know: a future star was in their midst. In an interview, Tems later explained her creative process, confirming that the early praise was justified.

Tems recalled that Wizkid played several instrumentals for her in the studio, and the one for "Essence" resonated with her in a unique way. Without any prepared lyrics, she began to freestyle over the melody, and her raw, spontaneous offering became the creative foundation of the song.

The result was met with unanimous acclaim from critics, fellow artists, and the public. "Essence" became the first Nigerian song to enter the Billboard Hot 100 chart. In 2021, the track became the first African single to be certified platinum in the United States without a feature from an American artist, and it earned a Grammy nomination the same year.

"Essence" Propels Tems' Career

Widely considered a song that solidified Afrobeats' place at the pinnacle of global music, "Essence" also launched Tems' career into the stratosphere. Months after its release, the Nigerian artist co-wrote the song "Lift Me Up" with Rihanna, which was selected as the lead single for the Marvel film Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Even more impressively, Tems won the Grammy for Best African Music Performance in 2025 for her song "Love Me Jeje." Days later, she became the first African artist to surpass one billion streams for a single track on Spotify with her collaboration with rappers Future and Drake on "Wait For U."

Servan Ahougnon