Wanted (Wande Coal album)
| Wanted | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 26 October 2015 | |||
| Genre | Hip hop | |||
| Length | 75:32 | |||
| Label | Black Diamond | |||
| Producer |
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| Wande Coal chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Wanted | ||||
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Wanted is the second studio album by Nigerian singer Wande Coal. It was released on 26 October 2015 through Black Diamond Entertainment. It serves as a follow-up to his debut, Mushin 2 Mo' Hits (2009). The album features a number of other artists including AKA, 2Face Idibia, Burna Boy, Maleek Berry, and Wizkid[1], along with production from J Fem, Xela, Maleek Berry, Major Bangz, Sarz, Da BeatFreakz, Legendury Beatz, and LeriQ.[2]
Background
[edit]Wande Coal announces the album's release on 16 October 2015. He stated, "Finally, Black Diamond presents 'WANTED', My sophomore album. This is for the die hard fans, the critics, haters, the media houses and more importantly, those who never stopped believing. This is a reminder of who I was and who I have evolved into. This is where I want to be; WANTED".[3]
Singles
[edit]The album's lead single "My Way" was released on 14 February 2013. It was produced by Maleek Berry.[4] The second single, "Amorawa", featuring Burna Boy was released on 29 November 2013. It was produced by LeriQ.[5] The third single off the album "Baby Hello" was released on 5 April 2014 and was also produced by Maleek Berry.[6] The fourth single, "Ashimapeyin" was released on 1 July 2015 and features production by Sarz.[7] The fifth and final single "Same Shit" features AKA and production from Da Beatfreakz. It was released on 9 September 2015.[8]
Critical reception
[edit]| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| tooXclusive |   [2] |
| Pulse Nigeria |  [9] |
Wanted received mixed reviews from music critics. Joey Akan of Pulse Nigeria praised the album as a strong comeback, highlighting its mix of commercial appeal and artistic depth. He noted that the album, though more "patchwork than conceptual," showcased Wande Coal’s "dexterity of sound and a shrewd understanding of the market", describing tracks like "Wanted" and "Monster" as Wande at his best. He rated the album 3.5/5, calling it "good for Nigeria".[9]
Ogaga Sakpaide of tooXclusive critiqued Wanted as a disappointing follow-up to his debut, highlighting its lack of "artistic growth and depth" despite rare flashes of brilliance. He described it as a "fast food album" filled with "ordinary fillers," with standout moments like "Superwoman" and the Burna Boy-assisted remix of "Wanted" overshadowed by mediocrity. The album received a 2/5 rating.[2]
Abisola Alawode of Leadership described Wanted as a good album that showcased his talent but fell short of greatness. While tracks like "Adura" and "Superwoman" were highlights, and Wande’s vocals remained "unrivalled", the album had some "unnecessarily boring" moments like "We Ball" and certain skits. Alawode praised Wande’s chemistry with Maleek Berry and called the production "mostly top-class" but noted room for improvement in mixing.[10]
Oris Aigbokhaevbolo of Music in Africa critiqued Wanted as a flawed attempt to reclaim his debut’s magic, noting that while songs like "Ashimapeyin," "Same Shit," and "Make You Mine" stood out, the album was bogged down by "uneven production" and "forgettable lyrics". He observed that Wanted failed to reinvent or capture the zeitgeist, calling it a "losing game" and lamenting that the skits referred to a "non-existent record".[11]
Accolades
[edit]| Organization | Year | Category | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Headies | 2016 | Best R&B/Pop Album | Nominated | [12] |
| Album of the Year |
Track listing
[edit]| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Intro (Skit)" (featuring Seyi Law) | — | 1:06 | |
| 2. | "Adura" | Oluwatobi Ojosipe | Sarz | 4:22 |
| 3. | "Superwoman" | Ojosipe | Xela | 4:56 |
| 4. | "We Ball" | Ojosipe | Maleek Berry | 3:19 |
| 5. | "Same Shit" (featuring AKA) |
| Da BeatFreakz | 3:24 |
| 6. | "Monster" | Ojosipe | Legendury Beatz | 3:25 |
| 7. | "Skit" (featuring Falz) | — | 1:34 | |
| 8. | "Wanted" | Ojosipe | Major Bangz | 4:14 |
| 9. | "African Lady" | Ojosipe | Maleek Berry | 3:16 |
| 10. | "Ashimapeyin" | Ojosipe | Sarz | 3:48 |
| 11. | "Weekend" (featuring Maleek Berry) |
| Maleek Berry | 3:50 |
| 12. | "Plenty Love" | Ojosipe | Maleek Berry | 3:26 |
| 13. | "Skit" (featuring IamJimmie) | — | 0:45 | |
| 14. | "Make You Mine" (featuring 2Face Idibia) |
| Legendury Beatz | 3:16 |
| 15. | "Lowkey" | Ojosipe | Maleek Berry | 3:13 |
| 16. | "Iyawo Mi" | Ojosipe | J Fem | 3:28 |
| 17. | "Jelly" | Ojosipe | Maleek Berry | 2:51 |
| 18. | "Baby Hello" | Ojosipe | Maleek Berry | 3:29 |
| 19. | "Wanted" (remix; featuring Burna Boy) |
| Sarz | 4:48 |
| 20. | "Kpono" (featuring Wizkid) | Maleek Berry | 3:02 | |
| 21. | "Outro" (featuring King Spesh) | — | 1:06 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22. | "Amorawa" (featuring Burna Boy) |
| LeriQ | 4:02 |
| 23. | "My Way" | Ojosipe | Maleek Berry | 3:57 |
| Total length: | 75:32 | |||
Notes
- "—" denotes a skit
References
[edit]- ^ Badmus, Kayode (24 October 2015). "2face, Wizkid, AKA feature on Wande Coal's upcoming album 'Wanted' [Tracklist]". Nigerian Entertainment Today. Retrieved 29 October 2015.
- ^ a b c Sakpaide, Ogaga (11 November 2015). "ALBUM REVIEW: Wande Coal – Wanted". tooXclusive. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
- ^ Mayowa (16 October 2015). "Wande Coal To Drop First Album Post-MAVIN". Channels TV. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
- ^ O, Ovie (14 February 2015). "Wande Coal - My Way (Prod by Maleek Berry)". NotJustOk. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
- ^ Alonge, Osagie (29 November 2013). "NETPod: Wande Coal duets with Burna Boy on 'Amorawa'". Nigerian Entertainment Today. Archived from the original on 5 December 2013. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
- ^ Adenuga, Wale. "Wande Coal – Baby Hello (Prod by Maleek Berry)". tooXclusive. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
- ^ Adesida, Olumide. "Wande Coal drops new tune, 'Ashimapeyin'". Nigerian Entertainment Today. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
- ^ EGO (9 September 2015). "VIDEO: Wande Coal ft. AKA – Same Sh$t". NotJustOk. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
- ^ a b Akan, Joey (27 October 2015). "Wande Coal's triumphant return is extremely "Wanted" and impressive". Pulse Nigeria. Archived from the original on 16 March 2016. Retrieved 29 October 2015.
- ^ Alawode, Abisola (20 November 2015). "Nigeria: Review of Wande Coal's Wanted Album". allAfrica. Archived from the original on 22 November 2015. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
- ^ Aigbokhaevbolo, Oris (10 November 2015). "Wande Coal — Wanted". Music in Africa. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
- ^ "The Headies Awards 2016 : Complete list of Nominees". The Headies. 25 October 2016. Retrieved 29 December 2024.