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Today, Monday, July 14, 2025, marks exactly eight years since Wizkid released his game-changing project, Sounds From the Other Side.
More than just an album, this body of work played a defining role in Afrobeats’ gradual takeover of the global music scene.
Released under Starboy Entertainment and RCA Records, SFTOS arrived at a time when the world was just beginning to pay serious attention to the Afrobeats movement. It delivered not only memorable tracks and heavyweight collaborations but also a fascinating backstory that many fans never got to hear.
8 YEARS AGO TODAY
Wizkid dropped his third studio album "Sounds From The Other Side" 
A brilliant body of work that was ahead of its time and will forever be iconic.
What's your favourite song on this? 
pic.twitter.com/hPYtYp5pky
As we celebrate its anniversary, here are eight facts you probably didn’t know about Sounds From the Other Side by Wizkid; from its long, winding creative process to its historic global impact.
1. Wizkid never saw it as an ‘album’
Everyone calls it an album, but it's like an EP to me. When I decided to make this record; Sound From The Other Side, I was going to put it out for free. - Wizkid, 2017 
Side note: Wizkid's foresight as per Afrobeats mainstream explosion
man's a prophet 
pic.twitter.com/hCLFaSNCW9
Even though Sounds From the Other Side is widely described as the third studio album of Wizkid, the man himself insisted it was a mixtape or EP. In several interviews with DJ Semtex, Ebro Darden, and other media platforms, Wizkid explained that he approached the project as a laid-back, experimental collection of sounds, not a formal studio album. This was his way of testing the waters with a new, global audience while still staying true to his creative instincts.
2. It took three years to make
The journey to SFTOS wasn’t an overnight affair. Recording began in 2014 and spanned a solid three years before the final version dropped in 2017. This long stretch allowed Wizkid to carefully craft the project, working with different sounds, producers, and collaborators along the way. Interestingly, tracks like Come Closer were reportedly recorded around the same period as Drake’s One Dance in 2016 but were held back for the album’s eventual release.
3. African Bad Gyal was teased three years before the album dropped
BEHIND THE SCENES: Wizkid recording “African Bad Gyal”. #SFTOS 
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Long before the album hit streaming platforms, Wizkid had already started teasing SFTOS. In a 2014 interview with Capital Xtra, he revealed plans for the project and even mentioned African Bad Gyal, his collaboration with Chris Brown, as one of the tracks. This early teaser showed that Wiz was already plotting a major global move while most of his peers were still focused on the home market.
4. It made chart history for Afrobeats
On This Day 
2017: Wizkid released "Sounds From The Other Side" EP
➤ First 21st century NG Album to debut on the Billboard 200 and UK Albums Chart
➤ Won the Best RnB/Pop Album award at the 2018 Headies.
➤ Produced the Global smash “Come Closer” feat. Drake
Your Favorite… pic.twitter.com/CM1GYQE5Jm
Sounds From the Other Side wasn’t just a fan favorite, it broke records. The project debuted at No. 107 on the US Billboard 200, a landmark moment for Afrobeats at the time. It also charted in Canada, the UK, Belgium, and France. For an African artist with a largely homegrown fanbase, this was a massive achievement and a clear sign that Afrobeats was making serious waves globally.
5. Its sound leaned heavily on Caribbean influences
While rooted in Afrobeats, SFTOS intentionally embraced a cocktail of Caribbean Dancehall, EDM, R&B, and even House music. Tracks like Naughty Ride with Major Lazer and All for Love featuring South Africa’s Bucie reflected Wizkid’s deliberate attempt to blend African sounds with globally familiar genres. It was a bold strategy aimed at attracting new international listeners who might not have been well-versed in Afrobeats.
6. The international collaborations were a calculated move
Wizkid wasn’t just featuring big-name acts for clout. Each collaboration on SFTOS served a strategic purpose. Working with the likes of Drake, Major Lazer, Chris Brown, Ty Dolla $ign, and Trey Songz helped him tap into different markets. Come Closer, in particular, built on the momentum from One Dance and positioned Wizkid as one of the few African artists capable of holding his own on the global stage.
7. The Come Closer video sparked controversy
Come Closer was one of the album’s standout tracks, but its video raised eyebrows when Drake failed to appear in it. The internet did what it does best, speculate. Was there beef? Was it scheduling conflicts? Was it a label issue? No one really knows. But despite the drama, the song became a commercial hit and one of the most successful Afrobeats tracks ever released globally.
8. Critics had mixed feelings, but the ambition was unmistakable
That thing Wizkid did with Sounds from the other side, you will never realize perfect and ahead of time that album was until you listen to MIL , MLLE and MORAYO and it's mind blowing how far ahead he was and it's like had to water down his music so we could catch up.
— Agaracha
(@EfeTosin1) July 13, 2025
Upon release, Sounds From the Other Side drew mixed reactions from critics. Some praised Wizkid’s bold attempt to merge genres and push Afrobeats to new audiences, while others felt it leaned too much into Western pop territory. Yet, whether people loved it or didn’t get it, it is evident to say that this was a calculated global play. It was the sound of an artist ready to step onto the world stage and he did.
there was a massive sonic shift mixing-wise in afrobeats starting from Wizkid’s Sounds From The Other Side
— jesse alordiah 44DB (@jessealordiah) July 12, 2025In conclusion, eight years on, Sounds From the Other Side remains one of the most important and ambitious projects in Wizkid’s career. It wasn’t perfect, and it wasn’t universally loved, but it cracked open doors that Afrobeats artists are now walking through with ease. As Afrobeats continues to flood global charts and festival lineups in 2025, it’s worth remembering this project that, in its own way, helped make all of this possible.
Happy 8th anniversary to Sounds From the Other Side; a bold, genre-bending, game-changing mixtape that changed the conversation.
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