Recently, fans of Asake unearthed the singer’s old X account, which he used under his former stage name, Medoo. Among the flurry of old posts, his last tweet on the account stood out as an inspiring piece of digital artefact. “One Artist I would love to work with is Wizkid,” he tweeted in 2015 while promoting the first iteration of his hit single “Joha.”

That level of optimism from the ex-YBNL star is unsurprising, as collaborating or achieving success on the level of Wizkid, the established gold standard for African musical success, would have been the prevailing aspiration for many emerging artists at that time. What makes the narrative particularly compelling is Asake’s storied, meteoric rise and the eventual realisation of a monumental artistic vision. 

An iconic run that began with the release of the infectious, Olamide-assisted “Omo Ope” in early 2022 catapulted the Isale Eko-born singer to unimaginable heights in record time. He released an impressive trio of albums in as many years, showcasing an exemplary level of dedication and skill and becoming an inspiring symbol of success in the process, echoing the trajectory of a similar iconic figure from Ojuelegba who he once tweeted about years ago. 

A decade later, the two are sharing inside jokes on an episode of Instagram’s Close Friends Only series, one of the few press appearances they made to promote their new collaborative EP, ‘REAL, Vol 1.’ Their bromance began about a year prior, when Wizkid appeared on Asake’s third studio album ‘Lungu Boy,’ featuring on the standout “MMS.” Since then, the two have been vocal about their mutual admiration for each other, culminating in this new low-stakes, and potentially high-reward, EP that feels more like a commemoration of their bond rather than a statement of creative intent. 

Despite the strong camaraderie that has clearly developed between the two Afropop titans, this palpable personal chemistry has not fully resulted in a resonant musical synergy. “Jogodo,” the EP’s lead single, which arrived a week ago, is a passable tune that fits neatly into the current Afropop soundscape but lacks any distinctive cutting edge. The pair settles into a comfortable, mid-tempo groove over Magicsticks’ slick, although familiar, production, with neither really pushing the other, or the music itself, into a new or unique direction. 

This is mostly true for the EP’s other tracks. The opener “Turbulence,” led by Asake, who opens up the song with his soothing vocal inflection and philosophical aphorisms, coasts pleasantly but ultimately lacks any real bite. The more upbeat closer “Alaye” also offers little in the way of innovation but packs enough propulsive energy to get a crowd going. The project’s most interesting offering comes in the form of “Iskolodo,” a groovy, Calypso-influenced cut that features the duo’s strongest performance across the EP’s limited runtime. 

History suggests superstar team-ups almost always seem better in theory, and ‘REAL, Vol. 1’ does little to challenge that precedent. Yet, there’s significant upside to the EP. These two iconic figures, who represent different eras of Afropop’s rich history, coming together for a project like this feels like a satisfying cross-generational dialogue that’s indisputably authentic to the genre, if not necessarily ambitious. Also for Wizkid, it helps keep his impressive collaboration streak going, positioning him favorably for another solid year while it serves as an appetizer for fans of Asake who patiently await the release of his highly anticipated fourth studio album ‘M$ney.’