xThe power of Wande Coal in the Nigerian music industry can not be underestimated.
With more than a decade in the industry, Wande Coal has managed to still have many in a chokehold with his voice and music
Prior to Wande Coal winning hearts with his breathtaking love ballad, “Ololufe“, the singer started out as a dancer and a backup singer.
Wande Coal is also the stylistic forerunner of almost all modern Nigerian pop artists. His entrance into the music industry brought with it an influence and impact that not many artists can boast of.
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The Impact of his “Mushin to Mohits” album
“Mushin to Mohits” was Wande Coal’s debut album and arguably one of Nigeria’s best albums to date.
The 16-tracks album was a showcase of songwriting and vocal prowess on Wande coal’s part and Production, engineering and A & R expertise on the part of Don Jazzy and the defunct Mohits team.
This was an album that changed the pop music landscape and solidified Wande’s reign in the Industry.
From “Olulufe” to “Bumper to Bumper” to “You Bad“, this album housed hits that to this date many millennials would go nuts should any of it come on the speaker.
Wande Coal had both young and old dancing or falling in love with this album, in fact, the project was nothing short of a masterful conception.
On this album, Wande Coal was everything- a loverboy, a playboy, an arrogant man and a thankful man.
“Bumper to Bumper” had people showing their skills on the dancefloor, “Olulufe” had people falling in love, “Who Born The Maga” had people bragging with style.
This album also made history for the singer as he became the first solo act to cart a large number of awards in one night during the 2010 Headies.
His Evolution after Mohits/Mavins
Look we know all good things must come to an end but Wande Coal partnership with Don Jazzy and his Mohit team coming to end wasn’t what people had seen happening.
When he left the label which rebranded into the current day Mavin Records in 2013, not many people knew what the future hold for the singing god.
Don Jazzy has to been given his flowers for his contribution to Wande Coal’s artistry development and fame so it’s no surprise that the end of their partnership worried many.
However, apart from some hitches, Wande Coal has fared considerably well years after leaving the Label although it didn’t come at a cost.
It took Wande Coal six years to release his second album, “Wanted.” During that period, he released a series of songs like ‘Baby Face”, “Ashimapeyin”, “Baby Hello” and “My Way”
From these songs, it was obvious that Wande Coal was doing a lot of expanding ou+tside the wings of Don Jazzy.
His “Wanted” album might have not had achieved the same classic status as his debut but it was a success. The project produced hits like “Superwoman” and “Amorawa”
After the album, he dominated the music scene with Patoranking’s “My Woman, My Everything,” in 2015 and later the DJ Tunez-owned “Iskaba” in 2017.
He also released songs like “Ballerz, “Oh No No“, “Turkey Nla“, “So Mi So”
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Capturing 2020 with “Again”
After a while of being in the background, Wande Coal made a bounceback with the beautiful single titled “Again.”
While the “Again” vibe is a thick powerhouse, it’s a never-ending collection of delivery kept on hand. It’s like a sweet candy, and it never stops by, instead portraying his prowess and magnificent dexterity and range.
The single was one of 2020 biggest hits and the lead single of his debut EP, “Realms” also released in 2020.
Unfortunately, the song was robbed of its rightful place on the 2020 Headies nomination list.
His Impact on Nigerian Pop Sound
The Nigerian Pop Sound became mainstream by the 2010s with Wizkid at the frontline thanks to his “Superstar” album but prior to his reign, Wande was one of the artists that laid that foundation.
Wande Coal is a one-of-a-kind individual who has a way of bringing great joy through outstanding performance.
His deliveries on songs are of the exotic types, and his vibes are priceless, embodied with legendary crest coats that you’d want to hold, feel, and wear to adorn your vain body.
This is something that many artists who idolize him have learnt to not just embody but personalize and add to their trademark style of music.
Wande Coal’s influence can be found in the majority of the new generation of Nigerian Afropop artists.
His Influence on Nigerian Modern Afro-Pop artists
When you look at most of the popular Afropop artists, it’s not hard to see the influence Wande Coal has on their style of music.
One artist who practically built on the foundation Wande Coal laid was Wizkid. The two can be likened to John Baptist and Jesus Christ.
While the former laid the groundwork, the latter not only built but created a whole religion out of it.
Wizkid who was signed to Banky W’s EME record at the time of his entrance into the Industry capitalized on what Wande Coal had laid, reinventing and pushing the limits of Afropop which transitioned into the global fame he is currently enjoying.
Wande’s influence isn’t just seen in Wizkid but also in new school artists like Fireboy DML.
With a level of manipulation, Fireboy sounds eerily like Wande Coal, a fact people picked up on Fireboy’s 2021 hit, “Peru.” The second verse of the song had people accusing Fireboy of lowkey featuring Wande Coal.
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His Sound, Vocal Range and Songwriting
While a lot of people including this writer has issues with Wande Coal, none of it would be his music.
Wande Coal had it all: he was a talented songwriter, a great dancer, and he could sing your pants off.
From the time he was introduced via D’banj’s songs and his appearance on Mohots all-stars album, “Curriculum Vitae“, Wande Coal has been nothing short of an Icon.
His debut album portrayed him as a man who had more to offer and an album would not be enough to fully show it.
Another beautiful part of the album was the songwriting. Wande Coal is an incredible songwriter that wrote lyrics that was cheeky, catchy and memorable.