‘Now Playing’ is an illuminating playlist series that gives listeners a glimpse into the music that has been of particular importance to our favourite artists during their release campaigns. Populating NATIVE’S streaming platforms, Now Playing is powered in partnership with Platoon – the initials of the series symbolic of both NATIVE and Platoon’s dedication to identifying and championing good, meaningful music.

Last month, after three years of teasing the follow-up to his 2018 debut album, WANI finally released his highly anticipated sophomore album ‘Lagos City Vice 2.’ His debut, which arrived at a pivotal time of change for the Nigerian music industry introduced us to his mixed bag of sounds where he had ample space to interpolate many of our favourites ’90s and ’00s R&B hits with his Afropop-tinged sound. Now, WANI was shifting the needle on his creative output yet again.

 

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In the years since its release, WANI has come to sit firmly in the upper class of Afropop, backed by a string of steady hits including the Buju-assisted “Times Two” and a notorious online persona (he’s a bit of a ladies man). With ‘LCV2’, he’s disarming whatever perception listeners may have previously held of him and stepping into a more mature, developed stage of his career which is fashioned from the growing pains he faced while living in Lagos.

“I am learning more about myself obviously, I’m getting older too, I want the subject matter to reflect my growth and right now I am getting more comfortable.”

For many, witnessing WANI embark on the ‘Road to LCV2’ was a bittersweet moment, made more special by his proximity to his fans and loyal listeners who have been rocking with him from “China Designer” to “Grown Girl.” However, while the music we’re now hearing from the singer has definitely undergone some formative change necessary for its evolution, it never strays too far from WANI’s singular vision as an artist with a keen ear for melodies and crisp lyricism.

Now, as fans and listeners now enjoy the album, they can also listen to WANI’s dedicated new playlist packed with the songs that inspired his sonic world during album mode. Speaking about his latest playlist, released in partnership with Platoon, WANI shares: “It’s everything I’ve been listening to, my faves over time and all my influences leading up to the Lagos City Vice 2 EP.”

Stream ‘Road to LCV2,’ a playlist by WANI