Willie X.O, Dappy, Bring ‘Good Times’

Ferdinand Ekechukwu

UK-based Afrobeats singer/songwriter, Jocey Joseph Ekwuazi, known professionally as Willie X.O, has got highly anticipated audio and visuals to his hot new single ‘Good Times’ featuring popular British rapper, singer-songwriter, record producer and actor, Dappy for the first time on a track that feels like a perfect antidote to the hardships experienced by so many.

After recently inking a deal with major label, Atlantic Records UK, Willie X.O whose features include highly acclaimed international artistes like Tory Lanez and Popcaan in ‘Comfort You’ and R&B goddess, Ashanti in ‘Early in the Morning’ is one to look out for when it comes to blending rich authentic African sounds with latest musical trends. The visual speaks to game buff as ‘Good Times’ brims with the splendor and freestyle of a games’ arcade, playing on the idea of having the entire arcade to oneself for one night.

Set in a place where time doesn’t matter and rules don’t apply, ‘Good Times’ is a feel-good song, and the colourful arcade world mixed with the seamless lyrical harmony between Willie X.O and Dappy, provides the perfect setting for a mixture of harmless fun, some serious blackjack wins and a wild night of unlimited fun and games.

Where Dappy’s ad-libs punctuated with phrases of pidgin English in between, warm the heart, Willie’s easy energy in delivering his lyrics boast of his evolution as an artiste who hints of never-ending creativity, making this collaboration of two music greats, each in their individual genre, a classic work of art.

Directed by the talented Caroline Hajny, who is a photographer, and shot in Southend-On-Sea, Essex, England, ‘Good Times’ is everything it’s supposed to be: fun, creative and easy on the eye. Styled by Christina Okpala, Willie X.O’s charm is on a different level, captivating the audience with his swag and flow.

According to him, “We’d been in lockdown for a while and everyone was having a bad time. People were getting stressed out, desperately looking for an escape to get back out there, put this whole thing behind us, live life, and have a good time, so I made ‘Good Times’. When I was making the track, I had this feeling it would bang harder with a UK artiste on it, so I decided to go for one of UK’s best, and straight away I thought Dappy!

“He’s a great artiste and always delivers. He actually came up with the African words like Omoge and Efe-riro himself and I was shook! I was like this dude knows… It felt proper organic.” ‘Good Times’ is streaming on all digital platforms. Willie XO, is an artist who describes his unique genre of music as ‘Afrovibes,’ a combination of R&B with Afrobeats. Born in London, Willie XO spent his early childhood in Nigeria where he discovered he had a keen interest in music.

Drawing inspiration from musical influences like Fela Kuti and Bob Marley, Willie carved out his own musical niche with ‘Afrovibes’, a modern convivial interpretation of Afrobeats. His musical fusion evolved over time and he released his first single in 2017 titled ‘’Kraze’’ which became an instant hit. Willie XO successively released the commercially successful track ‘Comfort You’ in 2018 – a collaboration with canadian singer and rapper Tory Lanez and Jamaican DJ and songwriter, Popcaan – which became a national anthem hitting over 27 million views on YouTube.

In 2019, he pushed the envelope when he released ‘Early in The Morning’, featuring American singer/songwriter, Ashanti. When he’s not behind the microphone, Willie XO is busy with his charity organisation, set up with the purpose of helping young people start their own businesses, helping the less-priviledged and aiding undeserved communities in Nigeria. According to him, he made a pact with himself that whenever he made it, he would always help the less-priviledged and give back to his community. Willie XO is proving to be more than just another artiste. It is clear as day that this artiste is positioning himself to be one of the outstanding talents shaping the new African sound.