NATIVE Exclusive: Wande Coal Is Embracing Reinvention
“I’m persistent and consistent and I’m happy with what I’ve done”
Fourteen years ago, Wande Coal stamped his authority on the Nigerian music scene with his 2009 debut album ‘Mushin 2 Mo’ Hits.’ Buoyed by the amazing sonics of Don Jazzy, producer and co-founder of the defunct label Mo’Hits Records, as well as the energetic submissions of other members of the Mo’Hits Crew in D’banj, D’Prince, Dr SID, K-Switch, Wande Coal wrought his immaculate vocals to stunning effect, scoring hits with “You Bad,” “Bumper 2 Bumper,” “Taboo,” “Ololufe,” and the likes.
After ‘Mushin 2 Mo’ Hits’, he put out more hit singles, became the foremost star of a newly emergent Mavin Records, then a messy split led to the formation of the self-floated Black Diamond Entertainment, under which he released his 2015 sophomore album ‘Wanted.’ Over the years, Wande Coal has kept up with the changing tides in the Nigerian music industry, blending his musicianship with the sounds of the times, while retaining his old fans and adding new ones to his portfolio. “I’m persistent and consistent and I’m happy with what I’ve done,” he tells me on Tuesday afternoon earlier this month.
Following a thread of impressive singles and features, Wande Coal released his highly anticipated third project ‘Legend Or No Legend’. On the album, he works with both old and new stars (artists and producers) and fearlessly experiments with sounds as he deems fit. In a NATIVE track-by-track, Wande Coal broke down the connections and moments that fuel the songs on the project, revealing an aura of camaraderie as essential to his creative process. For him, ‘Legend Or No Legend’ is reflective of some of his life journeys throughout the years. “There’s a song called “Don’t Feel Love”; there was this time I was in a relationship [and] it didn’t work out. [The song] was just a way of me showing my emotions,” he says.
“‘Dues’ is a way of saying, ‘I’ve been in this industry for a while and I really know what I’m doing and I really know what I want.’ And you know in the music industry you have ups and downs and sometimes you just feel like you don’t want to do this no more but the drive and focus is what I take. When I focus, I just want to do better things and it reminds me of how I started in the game. Also ‘Nobody Holy,’ ‘Nobody Holy’ shows how nobody’s perfect. I’m not perfect. You cannot just expect everything to be rosy on all levels because everybody goes through their own [bad times] unless they lie that they don’t go through their own, you feel me? So, that’s how I see it.”
In the days Wande Coal debuted with ‘Mushin 2 Mo’ Hits’, the Afrobeats genre was still gestating and constructing the elements that made it the global success it is today. Wande Coal, being one of the luminaries of the genre, admits that while he has adapted to the new changes in the industry, he still upholds his ethos of pushing the boundaries of sound. “I was like 21, 22 when I came into the industry, and I made sure that I made an impact as soon as I came in,” he says. “So over the years now, I’ve been able to show my versatility, being articulate with words, teaching vocab in different slangs and still not deviating from my culture [as Yoruba and Nigerian].”
Numerous Nigerian artists of the current times have admitted to Wande Coal being influential in their sound and style. For Wande, it is an honour to continue to set trends with his career and impact present and future generations. With ‘Legend Or No Legend,’ he shows his gift by writing all the songs on the album, thereby reaching into different parts of himself to make music that will resonate with the public. “This has always been my MO. From ‘Mushin 2 Mo’ Hits,’ you could tell that all the songs are different,” he says. “‘I Know You Like’ is a different sound. ‘You Bad’ is a different sound. I would always give you different sounds. That’s one. [Secondly], I would always find a way to do something different that would captivate the crowd [and] sounds like ‘Kpe Paso,’ ‘Ebelebe,’ ‘Nobody Holy,’ and ‘Dues’ would always make that impact.
“And whether you like it or not, music is so universal to the point that it reaches everywhere, there’s no restriction for music. That’s what a lot of people don’t get. Music is never going to stop. People listen to Juju, people listen to Afrobeat, people listen to Soca, people listen to Reggae – it’s all types. So, for me, to be able to touch different zones and people and different nationalities makes me feel happy. That’s one thing I want to do and that’s what I’ve been able to do.”
One time, while Wande Coal readied the songs for his new album, he came across a Twitter post that posed the question: “Is it right to call Wande Coal a legend?” A lot of people descended on the post with differing sides arguing for or against Wande Coal’s status as a legend. Amused by the ruckus, Wande Coal responded to the post, writing, “Legend or no legend, I just love making good music.” His words immediately ended the debate. Inspired by that incident, he reached out to his team and informed them of the title of the album: Legend Or No Legend. Wande opines that, for him, the rewards of making music lie in the act itself and how his audience receives his work.
“Being relevant at this time is a success. Having to be present in this time and still doing good is a lot of success,” he says. “I’ve been around the world, I’ve done a lot of tours, I’ve done a lot of things, and I’m grateful for where I am. Happiness is success to me. As long as I’m happy, I’m successful. As long as I’m breathing, I’m gonna be successful, you know. The mindset [of success] that people think is that you have to have all the [material] things but for me, as long as my health is okay, I’m successful. That’s my state of mind.
“People have to also love themselves, you know. First, you have to love yourself, regardless of what people say. People measure success with different things but as long as within you, you know what you’re doing is good, you have a true heart, you’re hardworking and you’re prayerful, trust me, you’re successful.”
In 2018, Wande Coal inked a recording deal with an American company Starstruck Management and its partner EMPIRE, respectively. In 2019, Wande Coal released his first single “Vex”, produced by Sarz. He then followed up with his EP ‘Realms’ in 2020, that had a continental hit; “Again”.
Last year, Wande Coal was featured in EMPIRE’S first compilation project alongside other independent and EMPIRE-affiliated artists such as Kizz Daniel, Asake, Tiwa Savage Olamide, Black Sherif and Fireboy DML, among others. Wande Coal believes that the relationship between him and EMPIRE is “organic [and] meant to be.”
“EMPIRE is a family. I remember the last time they took me to America, I was in a studio; they had like seven studios in one building. It was crazy,” he says. “And then they had a different hallway [where] you could go eat [and] you go chill. You know how you go to a school and it’s just music that you’re doing? That’s the relationship and the idea that I love about working with them. They give you a space where you can come out there and work, and not just work with yourself but work with different producers, work with different artists, [and] work with different A&Rs. It gives you an open space to explore.”
The eight years between ‘Wanted’ and ‘Legend Or No Legend’ has taught Wande Coal that his music has a spiritual element to it, which is what he believes gives appeals to listeners and adds longevity to his career. He has enjoyed tremendous success with 2016’s “Iskaba,” 2017’s “Tur-Key Nla,” 2018’s “So Mi So,” 2019’s “Gentility” with Melvitto and 2020’s “Again” as well as 2021’s “Come My Way.” “I’ve noticed that my type of music grows on people [and] it gets to a lot of people, [and] I’m happy that my music does that,” he says. He also acknowledges the differences in the music landscape compared to when he started and is appreciative of his success.
“Back then, it wasn’t about social media. It was about your talent. It was about doing the necessary things to be out there,” he says. “Right now, it’s about networking, it’s about social media, it’s about influencing people. I feel like it’s a good thing. And also it’s not [only] about that [social media and networking], the music has also grown from back then to now. The Afrobeats of then is different from what is happening now because right now, the international scene is involved in the process, which is a good thing that I’ve noticed over the years. So aside from social media, the music has also crossed over to the other side. It’s a blessing in disguise, everything is working and aligning.”
Beyond making music, Wande Coal hopes to utilise his position to assist new talents to hone their craft, most especially in the areas of writing [with and for them], creating concepts and A&R. He also shares his plans for promoting ‘Legend Or No Legend.’ “I have different concerts already set down for me to perform in Europe, London, America and East Africa,” he says. “And what I’m most excited about are the East Africans because I always want to feel that I’m African. I love that part of me because home is key for me.”
Featured image credits/NATIVE
Shekhinah Returns With Surprise Album, ‘Less Trouble’
The South African R&B star is at her most assertive on her first album in four years.
South African R&B and Pop singer Shekhinah has released a new surprise album titled ‘Less Trouble.’ The Durban star, who had been quiet for most of the year, took to social media shortly before midnight to share the new album’s cover, synopsis, and tracklist, simply stating, ‘If you’re seeing this my album LESS TROUBLE is out now at Midnight,’ in an Instagram caption.
The soulful singer first began teasing ‘Less Trouble,’ her first album in over four years, about a year ago when she released its lead single “Risk,” a bouncy Afropop-inspired collab with Ghanaian star MOLIY. A few months after the release of “Risk,” she put out “Steady,” a dreamy pop number that suggested that something bigger was on the horizon. But then it was largely radio silence about a project until its surprise arrival at midnight.
If 2021’s ‘Trouble In Paradise’ represented a coming-of-age for Shekhinah, subsisting some of the dreamy, youthful exuberance of her debut album for more measured musings on themes like heartbreak and grief, ‘Less Trouble’ finds her at her most assertive, writing and singing with the acuity of someone who is grown, decisive and discerning. The delicate opener “Break Up Season” sets the tone for the rest of the album as she shows little tolerance for shady behaviour and toxic patterns.
Other standout cuts on the album like “Bare Minimum,” a sombre collab with fellow South African award-winning singer lordkez, the ethereal, in-your-face interlude “New Casanova,” and the percussive “What Are We,” where Shekhinah contemplates the nature of a relationship but ultimately demands all or nothing, all drive home a part of the album’s synopsis, which reads ‘A BOOK ON MORE HEARTBREAK BUT LESS HEARTACHE.’
Shekhinah invites a couple of new collaborators on ‘Less Trouble,’ featuring the aforementioned MOLIY and lordkez as well as multi-instrumentalist Mars Baby and Young Stunna across the album’s 11 tracks. Mpilo Shabangu handled the majority of the album’s production, while other producers like Michael Morare, her longtime collaborator, Mthintheki Mzizi, and Vuyo also contributed to the album.
Listen to ‘Less Trouble’ here.
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The NATIVE’s First Impressions Of Amaarae’s ‘Black Star’
‘Black Star’ marks another evolutionary arc for Amaarae, and The NATIVE team offer our thoughts after a...
Change has always been a constant theme in any discussion about the career of Ghanaian-American star, Amaarae. Since she emerged as a singular voice in the late 2010s, she has evolved from a sirenic Afropop-adjacent singer into a Punk-Pop firestarter with minimal fuss. ‘Fountain Baby,’ her 2023 sophomore album, was a sweeping departure from the lilting melodies and shapeshifing cadences of the hypnotic ‘The Angel You Don’t Know,’ emphasizing her commitment to charting new courses with her music.
In the lead-up to her new album, ‘Black Star,’ she has wholly embraced a Pop aesthetic and sheen that was reflected on the album’s promotional singles, “S.M.O.” and “Girlie-Pop!.” Now that the album has arrived, the singer has advised listeners not to go in expecting a continuation of the soundscape on ‘Fountain Baby.’ As keen followers of Amaarae’s career from its start, we are sure that ‘Black Star’ marks another evolutionary arc for her, and we offer our thoughts after a few listens.
WHAT WERE YOUR EXPECTATIONS OF AMAARAE GOING INTO THIS ALBUM?
Kemnachi: I had zero doubts that she would impress me again. Amaarae always comes correct. She is audacious with her choices, taking creative risks most artists would not dare to imagine, and somehow rendering them seamless, deliberate, and effortless. Her music has a way of enveloping me: it’s fluid, slightly dangerous, and yet irresistibly sensual. Every project feels like an immersive world she has curated down to the finest detail. With ‘Black Star,’ I knew it was not going to be a mere collection of songs but another meticulously constructed realm.
Bamise: I expected something fun, genre-bending, and sonically diverse in the fashion that Amaarae’s music typically is. I may have taken the album title a bit too literally, though, because listening made me realise I had an eye out for some Pan-African statements or something to spark discourse on African identity, but I didn’t quite catch any of that.
Boluwatife: Amaarae has largely delivered throughout her career, so I knew she was going to come correct again. She’s one of those forward-thinking artists who take the kind of risks most others wouldn’t, but she always manages to make it work. She’s proven to be a musical omnivore who constantly meshes her wide-ranging influences into something new, fluid, icy, and more often than not, sensual. I knew ‘Black Star’ wasn’t going to be any different.
WHAT SONGS STOOD OUT ON THE FIRST LISTEN?
Wale: I liked “Girlie-Pop!.” I feel like it captures Amaarae’s vision of pushing Afropop into the future. She’s also really grown comfortable with music and lyricism and will not dumb down her message for anybody. The instrumental for “Girlie-Pop!” is also a wonder; it’s so dense, but there are pockets for Amaarae to be emotive about her feelings. Top song!
Daniel Akins: I need to hear “B2B” at the next rave I’m at. Amaarae is in her Dance era, and I’m here for it. Kiss Me Thru The Phone pt 2” with PinkPantheress is the collaboration I knew I needed, and I’m glad they finally linked up. It’s a clear standout on the project; their ethereal style complements each other.
Shina: “B2B” was the one that did it for me. That is my favourite track on the project. The number of times I ran it back was unhealthy for a first listen. It was also really fun to catch the Don Toliver “Best You Had” sample. I need to hear this outside!
HOW WELL YOU THINK THE GUEST APPEARANCES ENHANCED THE LISTENING EXPERIENCE?
Israel: The guest features on Black Star aren’t mere flexes. They’re strategic, theatrical, and sometimes emotionally resonant. They enhance, yes, but they do so on Amaarae’s terms. A standout for me was PinkPantheress on “Kiss Me Thru The Phone pt 2.” The tradeoff is that a few songs feel like dazzling cameos rather than an integrated conversation, yet overall they enhance the album’s drama, texture, and bravado with precision.
Daniel Banjoko: Everyone showed up and delivered, no weak links here. Instead of just guest spots, they felt like vital pieces of a bigger puzzle. Charlie Wilson on “Dream Scenario” nailed his part especially, making the track sound exactly like its name promises.
Moore: The guest appearances on ‘Black Star’ feel very intentional; each one enhances the album’s world without overshadowing Amaarae’s vision. PinkPantheress’s signature airy delivery meshes with Amaarae’s experimental pop sound. Naomi Campbell’s commanding voice on “ms60” is an unexpected but powerful addition, adding drama to the track. Each feature feels carefully chosen.
WHAT SONG IS THE BIGGEST SKIP?
Bamise: Not to be a party pooper, but I don’t get the PinkPantheress collab, “Kiss Me Thru The Phone pt 2.” It feels like a PinkPantheress song with less pop in it, and just borrows the title of the iconic Soulja Boy song but has no other similarities. It’s between that and “ms60.” For me, the chorus of that sounds like something I’ve heard from Amaarae before, and I doubt its absence would have diminished the album.
Shina: I feel like biggest skip is a strong word for a solid project, but if I have to pick a song to skip, it’ll be “ms60.” I think it’s easily forgettable.
Wale: It’s hard to single out a song that stuck out to me, but hearing Naomi Campbell on “ms60” threw me off. It’s just too contrived to bear for me.
WHAT SONG HAS THE BIGGEST HIT POTENTIAL?
Boluwatife: My gut answer would probably be “She Is My Drug,” just because of how she beautifully reworks the melodies from Cher’s “Believe.” DJ remixes of this song could go crazy. But if I were to think a bit more logically, TikTok would probably lap up “Kiss Me Thru The Phone pt 2.”
Daniel Banjoko: “Kiss Me Thru the Phone pt 2” goes crazy. Amaarae and PinkPantheress are the perfect match. This collab feels like it was destined to happen, and it delivers in full. Honestly, I can’t believe it took this long, and now I just need more tracks from these two, ASAP.
Moore: “Kiss Me Thru The Phone pt 2” has the biggest hit potential on the album. The song has a nostalgic, sad party girl vibe that makes it appealing, and it’s also catchy and well-produced. PinkPantheress consistently performs well on platforms like TikTok, and her fanbase overlaps in a really interesting way with Amaarae’s. The collaboration feels organic and exciting, and will likely create a lot of buzz.
OVERALL FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Wale: There is a very visceral quality to how Amaarae expresses desire that I don’t hear very often in a lot of music. It’s abstracted and warped in futuristic textures, but it’s very profoundly human, and it’s always great to hear that even as she advances the sonics of her delivery. I do, however, have an issue with the thematic scope of ‘Black Star.’ I thought there would be overt references to her experiences of navigating her Ghanaian identity, but those references are limited to samples and interpolations. It’s still an incisive listen and a triumph for finding ways to advance music from Africa.
Bamise: It’s Amaarae; she can never go wrong. But for me, this is the album that excites me the least from her catalogue. Other than how bass-heavy some songs on the album are, like “S.M.O.” and “She Is My Drug” among others, it feels similar to other projects I’ve heard from her in a way that’s not exactly refreshing or mind-bending. I may have gotten spoiled by how diverse and eclectic Amaarae’s music tends to be, but I wanted more from her. I expected more gangster, Hip-Hop Amaarae. Thematically, I didn’t get anything that gives the Black Star of Ghana, or black stars are ruling the world. Will I listen again and enjoy every bit of it still, though? Yes, I will.
Shina: So first off, this is a solid body of work. I love the fact that Amaarae stuck with the Dance, Electro-Pop route she was going with throughout the album. The features also played their part, adding their unique touches to each record. I would say, though, a feature I would’ve loved to hear on this project is 070Shake. I think she would have been perfect on “100DRUM,” but we don’t always get what we want, do we? Thematically, I think Amaarae could’ve leaned heavily on her Ghanaian heritage, seeing as the title and cover of the album are a nod to that. Maybe Amaarae just wants us to dance, and that’s what I’m just gonna do, and you should too.
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Tems Partners With Hennessy For Leading Vibe Initiative
Launching in Lagos, Nigeria, this event pioneered by Tems marks the beginning of a continent-wide movement to...
In July, Tems announced the Leading Vibe Initiative (LVI) to support women in music and the creative space on their journey to make a mark in their fields and create space for other women in those industries. Born from Tems’ journey as a self-taught artist with a focus on driving change, the initiative offers training, mentorship, industry access, and community for women in music in Africa.
After a rigorous selection process for its inaugural cohort, Hennessy will join the two-time Grammy Award-winning star to celebrate the launch of the Leading Vibe (LVI) Initiative in Lagos, Nigeria. Held from August 8 to 9, 2025, the two-day event is the beginning of a bold new chapter in Hennessy’s long-standing commitment to music and culture in Africa.
“I’m excited to partner with Hennessy in bringing this initiative to life, supporting talented young women in music as they find their voices, embrace their power, and shape the future of the industry across Africa and beyond,” Tems said about the partnership.
The Leading Vibe Initiative aims to champion the next generation of female artists, producers, songwriters, and music professionals, increasing representation within all areas of music across the continent and beyond.
With Hennessy as lead partner, this ambitious program kicks off with an immersive event in Lagos featuring curated workshops, networking moments, and panel discussions led by top-tier talent from across the global and African music industries.
“Her vision, talent, and purpose align deeply with Hennessy’s legacy of championing those who push boundaries and redefine the world around them. We’re honored to support the Leading Vibe Initiative and to continue empowering African communities and cultures,” said Vincent Montalescot, Hennessy Global Chief Marketing Officer.
Hennessy’s partnership with Tems builds on the brand’s decades-long history of supporting music and artistic expression globally and on the continent. From Hip-Hop to Afrobeats, Hennessy continues to stand beside the artists and communities that shape culture.
In Africa, the Maison has deepened its commitment through meaningful initiatives like In the Paint and now, with the Leading Vibe Initiative, is taking a focused step toward amplifying women’s voices in music. With the Lagos launch as a powerful first step, the Leading Vibe Initiative will expand across Africa and globally, creating a cross-continental network of empowered women ready to shape the future of African music.
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