A track-by-track run-through of Hanu Jay’s ‘Wow’
a breakdown of the singer's fourth project
In the years since emerging unto the corridors of the music industry with Vibez, his euphonious collection of eight songs about the finer things of life and living in the moment, Warri-born singer, Han Jay, has kept up with his prolific streak, regularly serving timed update of his state of mind via loosies and well-worked singles that have seen him line up with everybody from Mayorkun to Zlatan over the last two years. But where the starkest evidence of his voracious aptitude for music and knack for curation has presented itself has always been projects where neo-soul sounds are often layered over hypnotic Afropop grooves.
2019’s Let’s Smoke and Fuck was a racy trip through the mind of a creator indelibly memorialising the thrills of the hedonistic with highlights like the soothing highlife leanings of “L.O.V.E” and the sprightly flamenco thrums of “Vibration.” The nonchalance of Let’s Smoke and Fuck blunts out on its canonical follow-up, the four-track EP, Lagos Taught Me, where the singer ponders graft, loyalty, and self-assuredness over featherlight beats that his voice dances over. The propulsive energy of all this undertaking has led to Wow, his latest project where his quest for happiness collides with some of the best times of his life being captured on wax. It is his most forward-facing project as he moves into a new phase of his career.
Below, Hanu Jay talks to the NATIVE through the process that inspired the records on Wow track-by-track.
“Happy”
We made the entire EP in about two months late last year. I always knew I wanted something with a very great feeling to start to project, something that had a choir too, and “Happy” was that song. There was one day when we weren’t even really recording, I was just chilling with my producer and he started playing some chords on the piano. As he was playing it, the chorus for “Happy” came to my head. I already had the “pursuit of happiness” line in my head because I knew I wanted to use it. My producer kept playing the piano and I was singing the chorus. We did a rough sketch that day but I knew that it would be completed when I was with a choir. I already knew how I wanted everything to be arranged.
“Alright”
“Alright” was one of the songs we already had from a while back but we didn’t have the right choir vocals on it. When we originally made it, we did it up to sixty percent and tried out the choir thing but we weren’t sure if it was going to be nice; it was just an idea in my head. Because of the kicks on the song, I wanted it to have a Micheal Jackson type of feeling to it. If you listen to it, the words are not very clear because in my mind, I was singing it like MJ used to sing his songs and put ad-libs at the end of it. I was basically trying to replicate that. At the end of the song, you’ll hear a wrestling sample. I’m a big fan of wrestling and Shawn Micheals’ theme song is one of my best ones so dug out one specific match where he was winning to complete the song. The screams of the audience and his song playing made it important for me.
“Party on the Moon”
This is one of those songs that came after we felt we were done with the EP in our minds but we knew we could still do a little extra. My producer was about to travel to Abuja and we knew we wouldn’t be able to work for a while. We wanted to take you out of this world, to a place where it would feel like you were having a party on Mars and were chilling with aliens. We were aiming to do something futuristic and that’s how we stumbled on making “Party on the Moon.”
“Rhythm & Soul”
This one almost didn’t make the project. I didn’t really like this one at the time we made it but my brother walked into the studio and went made for the song. The next day, my gym instructor came over and was asking what song this was. So, it ended up getting on the project. It was us trying to rework old-school konto vibes, spice it with some R&B, and just add some ragga elements as well. But at the same time, we didn’t want the beat to be complicated, just bouncy enough to get people moving.
“Wassup (Champions League)”
This is probably the most personal song for me on the project because it is directly talking about where I grew up in Warri. And it’s not just where I grew up, I mean my actual street, the house, and the places we used to watch football at. The whole vibes around “Wassup” is really personal because I was also talking about some things in my family. How I used to chill outside my grandfather’s house with my guys. There was a carpentry workshop outside my grandfather’s house and we were always there talking about football and all of that. I just talked about all those things because, at one point in our lives, football was the major thing, supporting Arsenal or Manchester United was huge. It’s a really heavy song.
“Wavy”
We did “Wavy” way back to. I was chilling with four other people who were my friends and also musicians. We went to Eko Atlantic for a while and just recorded a lot of songs. “Wavy” was just one of those songs, we were just having fun and it came up.
“Damola’s Interlude”
Damola is my cousin. There was a guy I really liked a lot and he dropped his album. There was a skit on the album and it inspired this one. It’s a little different because he was talking about something else but I just wanted something on my project where someone was talking about creativity and all. I told my cousin to record those things and she did.
“Wow (Can I Blow Your Mind)”
At that point, you should have been blown away but in case that did not happen and there was like 20% left to go, this song is meant to do the work. It carries the whole sense of the full EP. It’s the song that represents everything I wanted to do with the project.
Featured image credits/Courtesy of the artist
Asake Links With Tiakola On Gritty “BADMAN GANSTA”
Another step towards ‘Money,’ his fourth
Street-pop star, Asake, has released a surprise new single titled “BADMAN GANSTA.” Produced by super producer, P.Priime, the single, Asake’s second of the year, arrives with a crisp black and white feature and a stellar guest verse from French rapper and singer Tiakola.
The singer posted the full music video–a monochromatic montage of dazzling shots and scenes of his opulent lifestyle–across his different social media handles on Thursday evening, July 24, with a caption that read, ‘The World Of Money.’
Earlier in June, the ex-YBNL star announced a new album titled ‘Money.’ A few months before that, he released a loosie titled “Military” and then “WHY LOVE,” his first official single under his new imprint Giran Republic. “Military” served as a bookend to the first arc of his impressive career as much as an announcement of a new era, while “WHY LOVE” officially kicked off season two.
Following the release of “WHY LOVE,” Asake has also featured on songs like Olamide’s “99,” J Hus’ “Gold”, and Young Jonn’s “Che Che,” delivering standout verses that favour a melodious, laid-back approach as opposed to the spirited, fast-paced style that earned him success early on. “BADMAN GANSTA” also excels with this approach, as Asake’s melodious musings about his current lifestyle dovetail nicely with Tiakola’s equally sturdy verse over a plush beat that samples Amerie’s 2005 classic “1 Thing.”
With Asake releasing three albums in as many years, it’s not unreasonable to assume ‘Money’ might arrive before the end of the year. There’s also the possibility that he might be willing to take his time a little more now, seeing as he his under his imprint now.
Whatever the case may be, ‘Money’ is likely to arrive sooner rather than later, and it will be fascinating to see what other aces Asake has up his sleeves.
Listen to “BADMAN GANSTA” here.
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Ayra Starr Releases Her Sizzling Anthem, “Hot Body”
An 11th-hour summer anthem for the
Ayra Starr has released her highly anticipated single “Hot Body.”
The Mavin popstar has been teasing the new single for a few weeks now, posting multiple promotional videos across social media that built up significant excitement for her third official release of the year. The release of “Hot Body” comes on the heels of recent reports that confirmed the Grammy-nominated singer had officially joined Roc Nation’s roster, the American music label, entertainment, and sports services company founded by rapper and business mogul JAY-Z.
Earlier in February, Ayra Starr shared “All The Love,” a sumptuous Afropop ballad produced by labelmate Johnny Drille and Teemode, before releasing the sleek and sensual Wizkid-assisted “Gimmie Dat” about months later. In that time period, the singer picked up two awards at the 2025 MOBO Awards for Best African Music Act and Best International Act before also clinching her first BET award for Best International Act in June.
It was recently announced that the pop singer would be joining Coldplay on the UK leg of their Music Of The Spheres World Tour between August to September, and her impressive year continues with the release of “Hot Body.” Once again, teaming up with close collaborator Ragee and UK production duo The Elements, Ayra Starr manages to deliver a sweetly erotic summer jam that’s sure to elicit plenty lip-biting, hip gyrating, and flirty winks. “Look what a hot body can do,” she sings repeatedly, almost like an enchantress performing a magic trick.
With her current deal with Mavin and Universal Music still running and the recent confirmation of her management deal with Roc Nation, it’s safe to assume that “Hot Body” might garner significant momentum both at home and abroad. Outside of her music, the singer recently wrapped up the shooting of the film adaptation of Tomi Adeyemi’s Children of Blood and Bone which is reportedly set for release in early 2027.
Listen to “Hot Body” here.
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Zulo Details His Evolution On New ‘Z’ EP
Packed with his reflections on faith, love, and cultural pride, ‘Z’ distills ZULO’s thoughts into a...
ZULO is no stranger to reinvention. Formerly known as Lil Trix, the rapper rose through the ranks with a series of gritty mixtapes that chronicled his upbringing, thrills, and connection to the community. Since his rebrand, he’s steadily grown into a renowned voice in South African Hip-Hop, regarded for his storytelling, cultural homage, and genre fusion.
Three years after the release of ‘Talk To Me Naace,’ his reintroduction to the scene, ZULO has returned with ‘Z,’ a three-track EP that shows a glimpse of his evolution as an artist and human. Packed with his reflections on faith, love, and cultural pride, ‘Z’ distills ZULO’s thoughts into a refined sound that’s bold, emotional, and distinctly South African.
The three-tracker opens with “God’s Armour,” a gospel-inflected protest anthem layered with brass and trap drums. It is followed by “Sweeter Success,” an infectious Afropop-inspired groove built around a nostalgic sample of UPZ’s iconic “Pure Surprise”. Beneath its shine lies a darker message: the emotional cost of ambition, the toll of always pushing for more. ZULO produced the track himself, with additional production from Miglow and SpiceDrums.
‘Z’ closes with “Spaan”, a gritty street anthem that samples Kamazu and confronts addiction, poverty, and the lingering scars of apartheid through the lens of coloured identity. “These songs are battle cries and war journals,” ZULO says. “‘Z’ is everything I’ve fought through to stand where I am. The EP follows a strong run of 2024 singles, including “Adawise,” “JOL,” “Garden,” and “Smaak To Love (Lamza).”
Listen to ‘Z’ here.
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