Mr Eazi and Angélique Kidjo Join Forces In the New Visuals For "Òròkórò"

The Nigerian star and Beninese French icon collaborate on the single off Mr Eazi’s latest album, Evil Genius.

mr eazi angelique kidjo orokoro

Screenshot from Mr Eazi and Angélique Kidjo's "Òròkórò" music video.

(YouTube)

Fans of Nigerian creative Mr Eazi have been gifted with the singer and songwriter’s first release of 2024. The Afrobeats connoisseur released the music video to his track "Òròkórò" featuring five-time Grammy-award-winning Beninese-French icon Angélique Kidjo this Friday, and the artistically inclined Eazi did not disappoint on the visuals he delivered.

The Kel-P produced single comes off of Eazi’s well-received debut album The Evil Geniusand manifests as a fresh Pan-Africanist sound sure to get stuck in your head.

The delectable afropop tune highlights Eazi’s Pan-African approach to his debut album, with recognizable elements from across the continent’s rich soundscape. The video is shot by Thomas Leloup from the French creative collective Minuit/Une, and matches the track’s spiritual vibe perfectly. West African aesthetics and cultural nods are draped throughout the visuals shot in between Paris and Forêt de Fontainebleau, one of France’s largest forests.


Ceremonial proceedings are conducted throughout the music video, with Eazi playing the role of a prophet set on sharing his message of thanksgiving and gratitude. Kidjo, naturally, portrays a figure of strength and resilience, as her distinguished vocals reverberate closer to the end of the song. The visually striking video does a wonderful job of spotlighting Eazi and Kidjo’s combined mesmerizing presence, and the vibrancy of West African culture and spirituality.

The single was brought to life by Eazi, Kel-P, and a group of friends and originally featured a sample of Kidjo’s 90’s hit “Wombo Lombo” on its hook. The track then transformed into "Òròkórò" to create something newer and more exciting once 2023 Polar Music Prize laureate Kidjo signed on. The lyrics are predominantly Yoruba, with Eazi translating it on his official YouTube page as, “I am saying: What God has done for me in secret can’t be quiet, you can see the love God has shown me.” The spiritual nature of the song echoes its creative process, as Eazi describes Kidjo’s home base Ouidah, Benin – where the single’s final touches were made – as “a very spiritual place.”

Check out Mr Eazi and Angélique Kidjo in the music video for their single “Òròkórò” here

Mr Eazi - Òròkórò (feat. Angélique Kidjo) [Official Music Video]

The cover artwork for OkayAfrica’s Best West African Songs of 2024 list featuring Ayra Starr and Tems.
Latest

The Best West African Songs of 2024

This year’s list features emerging talents and an uptick in artists reaching to the past to create new sounds.

A man stands on a stage, wearing a denim jacket and pants while holding up a hand fan.
News

With “Sade,” Adekunle Gold Challenged The Nigerian Music Industry

As “Sade” turns 10, we take a look at how Adekunle Gold provided an alternative template to being a Nigerian superstar by making music with soul and commercial merits.