Rating Winky D's Eureka Eureka Album: You can love him or hate him BUT there`s one thing you can`t do and that is ignore him.

Winky D singing Ibotso at the HICC (January 1, 2023)

I typically don`t like to write these type of articles nor actively engage in the debates unless if it’s for banter purposes because I believe that in most cases and unless you are getting paid for it, opinions are generally useless and a waste of time. No matter how much you argue or state your case, for example, you can`t turn a Ronaldo fan into a Messi fan nor a Barcelona fan into a Real Madrid one or an opposition party activist into an establishment staunch supporter (without resorting to underhand tactics).

So if I am to be honest with all of you, I must admit that I only took my time to write this piece because my body is craving the keyboard of late. So let`s begin.

“When an artist's work ignites conversation, then the artist's work is done,” said some wiseman from the east, or the west or whatever; the fact of the matter is that Winky D’s Eureka Eureka album ignited conversation all over the country.

The process of making music is supposed to be easy. According to Alick Macheso, musicians are supposed to just sing and lay back while listeners choose whether or not they want to listen to the music.

Unfortunately, that doesn`t seem to be the case nor that simple.

Winky D's Secrecy and Political Connotations

Law 6 of the 48 laws of power talks about courting attention at all costs. It argues that it`s better to be hated than to be ignored. This is a tactic that the likes of Holy Ten seem to be trying to emulate. But should this always be the case?

A bit later on in the same book, on Law 16, Robert Green talks about, “Using Absence to Increase Respect and Honor.”

Are these laws contradictory? Well maybe but not really because Greene mentions that when you are already established, temporary withdrawal will make you more talked about, even more admired. Value is created through scarcity.

In my opinion, this is what Winky D has done with his career and life and it has made him a legend.

On a side note, however, I want credit our poorly resourced media for the supposed lack of information about him online. I am certain that if a dedicated journalist tracks his life for a few weeks, s/he will unearth multitudes but perhaps the resources for that are just not there.

Then there is controversy about his political connotations and the controversy surrounding that? I think that`s just pure drama. First of all, Winky D has never named a soul in all his social commentary and secondly, he has always been like that since the beginning of his career. He has never been afraid to point out issues affecting youth from prosperity, work, churches, drugs, sexual exploitation, gender-based violence, among others.

Eureka Eureka album

So thanks to Winky D`s Eureka Eureka album, January 2023’s first 10 days just flashed by as we all had something to look forward to and talk about.

Launch

It started from the launch, people may take it lightly but having a sold out show for a US$20-00 standard ticket in Zimbabwe is no easy fit even more so when the people don`t even know what they will be listening to.

And then the electric performance that we have gotten used to. It was epic at the HICC on the new year crossover.

Album rollout: marketing genius?

Eureka Eureka has done wonders to Winky D`s streaming numbers. In just 2 weeks, his YouTube account has risen from 172k subscribers to 216k subscribers, an increase of over 40k and the album has garnered over 5,6 million views already. The views have also been coming and it is likely that by month end, at least 2 songs from the album would have hit a million views on YouTube. There is no guarantee though because as we saw with Happy Again which hit one million views in 10 days and then failed to get another million in the year that followed, the views can just suddenly slow down at any minute.

There is another issue as well, Winky D’s popularity in the streets, on social media, and on stage as compared to his streaming numbers are a mismatch. His online game obviously needed to up and I think he is beginning to work on it. 

Now, let`s rate the songs from Eureka Eureka.

Songs rating and hits predictions.

Some people have said that they haven`t detected any hits from the album, well that`s their thinking, Zimbabwe is a free country. I have detected some though and list them here (in no particular order). Rating the songs though was way harder.

There is one thing that we all have to give to Winky D though and that is just how effortlessly he adjusted to each artist`s flow and genre throughout the album.

1. Nherera ft. Mwenje Mathole

From conversations with colleagues and from what I have seen on social media, this, right here is a contender for best song of the album. The flows, the beat, the vocals, the blend, the message; everything is just on point.

Rating: 10/10

Prediction: This will not likely become a chart topper or a song that everyone will vibe to this year. It will however most likely have the longest lifespan as it is in the same line with 25, Dzika Ngirozi and Hatiperekedzane. I would have liked a video for this one.

2. Gonyera ft. EXQ

Simple and catchy chorus with much deeper verses especially from Winky D, this is a collabo that Zimbabwe should have had long back from these two maestros. I can`t pick out anything wrong from this song to be honest.

Rating: 9/10

Prediction: I don`t know if this song will become a chart topper but it is a song that a lot of people will vibe to this year. In my opinion, it will be a hit of some sort.

3. Shaker ft. Enzo Ishall

This one surprises me a lot especially how people have received and embraced it. I mean, by the end of Winky D`s and Enzo Ishall`s performance of the song on December 31^st at the HICC, people had already took the chorus from them and made it their own. The lyrics, verses and chorus are simple and catchy which probably explains why people have quickly fallen in love with the song and are shaking anything that is shakable around them.

Rating: 8/10

Prediction: The song will likely blow up and be a club banger but I don`t see it as a song with a long lifespan.

4. XYZ ft. Qounfuzed

The feature was a surprise but the song wasn`t, people have known about the existence of the song for a while now. That probably explains why, on release, the song wasn`t hyped like Ibotso and others. But someone who has been watching the flow of the album with neutral eyes will tell you that this song is one of the best from the album and will most likely emerge as the most streamed at the end of the year.

Rating: 10/10

Prediction: Absolute hit. With half a million views already, XYZ will most likely hit a million views in a month or 2 on its way to being the most viewed song of #EurekaEureka and top 3 most viewed Zimbabwean song of 2023.

5. High Grades ft. Herman

The first song to be released from the album. It`s a decent song but I think it could have been better. Even with the advantage of being released first, the song has failed to live to the billing of lead single or song and its streaming numbers have already been trumped by songs like Ibotso, Dzimba Dzemambwe and XYZ.

Rating: 6/10

Prediction: The song has its market largely thanks to its naughty messaging of high grades. It will make rounds but I doubt that it will be a hit.

6. Dreams ft. Saintfloew

This is a great song that many are vibing to on social media and beyond. Winky D outdid himself here and one would be forgiven if, after listening to the song, thought that he is a hip-hop artist and not a dancehall one given his raps on the song. The beat is also great. Saintfloew though, seemed to have understood the assignment differently and chose to give us lyrics that we can hardly make sense of. That cost this song a 10.

Rating: 8/10

Prediction: Thanks largely to what Winky D himself did on the song, this song will have a long life much like 25 or Daddy.

7. Ibotso ft. Holy Ten

The song has been marred by a lot of controversy but the truth is that both artists featured on the song did their job well. Rumor has it that the song is not receiving airplay but that doesn`t matter, does it? I mean the song has been on number 1 trending  since its release and is already on 900k YouTube streams and will soon cross the one million mark. This, in my opinion, is success enough especially considering that the song available on YouTube is only an audio (and not video).

Rating: 10/10

Prediction: Whichever way you choose to look at this song, it`s touched people`s lives and attention and is thus a hit.

8. Tears ft. Anita Jaxson

Great pairing and a decent song that is obviously made for the international market. It remains to be seen just how well the song will be able to do its job.

Rating: 7/10

Prediction: I think this is an average song and I don`t see it as a major hit.

9. Dzimba dzemabwe ft. Shingai Shonhiwa

Winky D, Shingai, Jussa Di Mentor, Oskid and everyone who worked on the song understood the assignment and got everything perfectly. Dzimba dzemabwe, like ibotso will most likely not receive airplay but like in Ibotso’s case, it doesn`t seem like it needs it either. It`s already sitting on 800k YouTube views and with the gift of a video will surely end the year upwards of 1.5 million YouTube views.

Rating: 10/10

Prediction: The song is about ‘serious things’ and thus is for serious Zimbabweans, most of whom have embraced it well. It`s a hit, already.

10. Peter friend ft. Nutty O

Great pairing, great message and a really good song that is also made for the international market. Like tears, it remains to be seen just how well the song will be able to do its job.

Rating: 8/10

Prediction: This is a good song with a good message and the blessings of a video. I don`t see why it can`t make the rounds in the streets.

11. Kutonhodzwa kwaChauruka ft. Tocky Vibes

Since around 2015, Tocky Vibes seems to value longevity more than anything else in his songs and I think that that`s exactly what he did here. This is a song for the long run.

Rating: 8/10

Prediction: I don`t think this is an immediate hit but it will certainly have an impact over many, many years to come.

12. Muspirit ft. Dr. Chaii

A celebrated name the world over, Dr. Chaii is a fairly new name to the Zimbabwean music fraternity and was included in the Eureka project to bring much needed diversity. This is a good song, in my opinion.

Rating: 8/10

Prediction: The song will hit the airwaves but I doubt that it will make too much noise. This is an average to below average hit.

13. Vafarisi ft. Poptain, Bazooker

Is this really a new song, maybe but it sounds like we have all heard it before right? For me, this song sounds just like Gafa Party (Toi Toi) in many regards and I thus just regard it as part 2 of it as a result. It`s still a good song though but because it’s repetition, I won`t give it a 10.

Rating: 7/10

Prediction: Like Gafa Party (Toi Toi) before it, I think the song will be an average hit.

14. Urere ft. Killer T

The lyrics and the instrumentals tell the whole story. The song was made for the party animals and I would be surprised if they blue-tick it.

Rating: 10/10

Prediction: The song is and will be a club banger.

Overal Album Rating: 8.5/10

People will argue however they want but aside from Jah Prayzah, there is hardly any other artist who has garnered 5 716 000 YouTube streams from their albums and especially in such a short period of time and in the distribution we have seen from Eureka.

The album will most likely end the year with over 10 million YouTube streams and will surely rock the streets. It has been and will be a hit.

Winky D vs Jah Prayzah, Holy Ten, Seh Calaz

Winky D comparisons with artists like Holy Ten, Seh Calaz, Sniper Storm and so forth is petty and must not be entertained.

Only artists in the realm of Thomas Mapfumo, Alick Macheso, the late Oliver Mtukudzi, Leonard Dembo, John Chibadura, and for our generation, Jah Prayzah deserves such hour.

The truth is that Jah Prayzah is a great artist with just about everything you need from an artist; a great voice, great visuals, and great creativity.

His enemy has been his association or perceived association with the Zimbabwean ruling party and army. He has remained largely successful but his numbers and luster seems to have taken a knock.

Both artists have numerous hits but Jah Prayzah’s streaming numbers dwarf those of any of his peers and the only reason why Winky D`s name is mentioned alongside his is because Winky D’s stage performance and pro-people stance is second to none which has earned Winky D very loyal and dedicated fans like myself.

It`s also important to note that Winky D hasn`t really been as focused on the streams as much as you would think. Eureka Eureka, for example, is the first album with more than 1 musical video (aside from the 2 song medleys from back in the days). As a result, Winky D only has about 5 visuals in the last 5 years (excluding Eureka). Also, up until Gafa Life: Kick step,  he only uploaded video songs on his YouTube channel. And as we speak, hits like Paita Party, Mumba Mababa, my all time favourite - Life Yangu, and many other hits, are not available on his YouTube channel.

I hope that Winky D and his team will take the time to upload all these old songs on YouTube and other platforms. Yesteryear artists from across the world have done so.