Nigerian Afrobeats star WizKid tapped Justin Bieber to help remix “Essence,†the song he and Tems released earlier this summer to great acclaim. The un-remixed song is currently at No. 54 on the Billboard Hot 100. And with any luck, this remix will go the way of “Despacito†— i.e., No. 1, inescapable, playing in every outdoor mall until the heat death of the universe. WizKid and Bieber only hinted at the collab yesterday, with Justin thanking Wiz and Tems for letting him “jump on the song of the summer.â€
The song-of-the-summer moniker is one WizKid’s label is pursuing with vigor. “That song has become emblematic of being back outside,†Tunji Balogun, who signed WizKid to RCA in 2017 told Billboard. “Then, a narrative on the internet started about the song being the song of the summer — and we took that energy and ran with it.â€