''Pandemic'' is the debut

extended play An extended play (EP) is a Sound recording and reproduction, musical recording that contains more tracks than a Single (music), single but fewer than an album. Contemporary EPs generally contain up to eight tracks and have a playing time of 1 ...

by Nigerian singer

Ruger Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc., better known by the shortened name Ruger, is an American firearm manufacturing company based in Southport, Connecticut, with production facilities also in Newport, New Hampshire; Mayodan, North Carolina; and ...

. It was released on 12 March 2021 through

Jonzing World Jonzing World is a Nigerian record label and management company that was founded by a recording artist D'Prince on 22 March 2019. Jonzing World operates as a subsidiary of Jonzing World Entertainment. Other arms of the company include Jonzing Wor ...

and

Sony Music UK Sony Music Entertainment (SME), commonly known as Sony Music, is an American multinational music company owned by Japanese conglomerate Sony Group Corporation. It is the recording division of Sony Music Group, with the other half being the ...

. Production was handled by Kukbeatz.

Background

Ruger, born Michael Adebayo Olayinka, developed a passion for music early on, growing up in a music-loving household. Exposed to a variety of genres such as Fuji,

reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica during the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its Jamaican diaspora, diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, "Do the Reggay", was the first ...

, R&B, and

dancehall Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially, dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots reggae, roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s.Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter (2 ...

, his influences ranged from King Wasiu Ayinde and

Bob Marley Robert Nesta Marley (6 February 1945 – 11 May 1981) was a Jamaican singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Considered one of the pioneers of reggae, he fused elements of reggae, ska and rocksteady and was renowned for his distinctive voca ...

Sean Paul Sean Paul Ryan Francis Henriques (born 9 January 1973) is a Jamaican dancehall musician. Paul's first album, ''Stage One'', was released in 2000. He gained international fame with his second album, ''Dutty Rock'', in 2002. Its single "Get Busy ...

and

Popcaan Andrae Hugh Sutherland (born 19 July 1988), known professionally as Popcaan, is a Jamaican Toasting (Jamaican music), deejay. In 2008, Popcaan joined Vybz Kartel's Gaza Music Empire. In 2010, he released his breakthrough international hit "Cl ...

. While in secondary school, he composed songs that gained popularity among his peers, solidifying his aspirations to pursue music professionally. In 2019, Ruger began posting song covers on

Instagram Instagram is an American photo sharing, photo and Short-form content, short-form video sharing social networking service owned by Meta Platforms. It allows users to upload media that can be edited with Social media camera filter, filters, be ...

, which caught the attention of

D'Prince Charles Enebeli (born 23 October 1986), known by his stage name D'Prince, is a Nigerian Grammy Awards, Grammy-67th Annual Grammy Awards, nominated music executive, singer, songwriter, entrepreneur, Promoter (entertainment), promoter, and philant ...

, a Nigerian singer, music executive, and founder of

. D'Prince reached out to Ruger and eventually signed him after recognizing his potential during recording sessions. It was during this period that D'Prince gave him the moniker "Ruger", inspired by the gun brand and Ruger’s energetic and focused recording style. ''Pandemic'' was largely created during the

COVID-19 lockdown During the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, a number of non-pharmaceutical interventions, particularly lockdowns (encompassing stay-at-home orders, curfews, quarantines, and similar societal restrictions), were implemented in numero ...

in 2020, a period of uncertainty that Ruger channeled into his music. He described the project as an "isolation wonder", blending Afro-dancehall with his signature style of patois and pidgin. While some tracks like "Mona Lisa" and "Yekpa" were completed before the lockdown, the rest of the EP was conceived during this time. Ruger explained that the project’s title reflects the circumstances of its creation and his desire to turn a challenging period into something positive.

Singles

The titular lead single "Ruger" was released on 18 February 2021. Its accompanying music video was directed by Seyi Akinlade. The EP's second single "Bounce" was released on 12 May 2021 alongside its music video. The song was produced by Kukbeatz and its video was directed by Ahmed Mosh. It was nominated for Best Afrobeats Single of the Year at the 2022 edition of the Headies.

Critical reception

Motolani Alake Motolani Olusegun Alake is a Nigerian lawyer, music executive, entrepreneur, public speaker, podcast host, and TV host, who has also been a pop culture commentator, and journalist. He was the Editor-In-Chief at Pulse Nigeria from March 2022 to D ...

of ''Pulse Nigeria'' praised ''Pandemic'' for showcasing Ruger’s "superstar delivery" and ability to blend reggae-fusion and

Afro-pop African popular music (also styled Afropop, Afro-pop, Afro pop or African pop) can be defined as any African music, regardless of genre, that uses Western pop musical instruments, such as the guitar, piano, trumpet, etc.Olabode, O. (2023, J ...

seamlessly. Tracks like "Abu Dhabi" exemplify his talent with "incredible delivery" and dexterous lyricism, though the review noted that Jonzing's single choices, such as "One Shirt", failed to maximize his potential. Alake concluded Ruger is a "top talent" who now needs a hit single to solidify his rising status, rating the project 7.9/10.

Track listing

Release history

References

{{reflist Yoruba-language albums 2021 debut EPs Albums produced by Kukbeatz Ruger (musician) albums Jonzing World EPs