''Realms'' is the first EP by Nigerian singer

Wande Coal Oluwatobi Wande Ojosipe (born 18 October 1985), popularly known as Wande Coal, is a Nigerian singer and songwriter. Early life Wande Coal was born on 18 October 1985 in Lagos Island, Lagos state, Nigeria, to Chief Ibukun Olufunto and Omolara ...

. It was released on 11 September 2020, through Starstruck Management and

Empire Distribution Empire Distribution, Records and Publishing Inc. (stylized as EMPIRE) is an independent American record label, distribution and publishing company founded in 2010 by Ghazi Shami. Based in San Francisco, EMPIRE has offices in New York, London, ...

. Following up to his second

studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-track or Cassette tape, cassette), or digital distribution, dig ...

, '' Wanted'' (2015), it features guest appearances from rapper

Wale Wale or WALE may refer to: Places * Wale, Devon, a hamlet in England * Wale, Tomaszów Mazowiecki County, a village in Poland People * Wale (surname) *Wale (rapper), stage name of American rapper Olubowale Victor Akintimehin Radio and televisi ...

and producer

Sarz Osabuohien Osaretin (born 17 March 1989), better known by his stage name Sarz, is a Nigerian record producer, mixing engineer and musician. Born in Benin City, Edo State, he is popularly known for the tag "Sarz on the beat" or "Really", at the b ...

. Production was handled by

, Melvitto, Lekka Beatz, Dapiano, Screwface, The Sharpshutaz, and

Pheelz Phillip Kayode Moses (born 5 June 1994), better known as Pheelz, is a Nigerian record producer, singer, songwriter, and graphic designer. Pheelz is credited to have produced all but one song on Olamide's '' Baddest Guy Ever Liveth'' album. In 2 ...

Background

''Realms'' marked Wande Coal's third project in five years, after the release of '' Wanted'' (2015). Wande Coal announced the release of ''Realms'' on 14 December 2019, where the EP was teased to drop on 6 March 2020, after Wande signed with

. Later, on 8 September 2020, it was eventually revealed, via his

Twitter Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...

account, that ''Realms'' would be released within less than 48 hours, just for it to release on 11 September 2020.

Singles

The EP's lead single "Vex" was released on 31 October 2019, and features production from

and Screwface. Sarz is also credited to be featured on the track. The second single "Ode Lo Like" was released on 12 December 2019, and was produced by Dapiano and Screwface. The Melvitto and Screwface-produced third single off the EP, "Again," was released on 6 February 2020. The fourth and final single "Naughty Girl" was released on 26 June 2020. It was produced by

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'' critiqued Wande Coal's ''Realms'' EP as "a lesson in what shouldn't be done" for a veteran artist, highlighting its lack of fresh material and strategic overemphasis on previously released singles. Alake noted that while Wande Coal's talent remains evident, the EP's approach felt "lazy" and prioritizes streaming metrics over artistic impact. He rated the EP a 3.5/10, categorizing it as a "near fall." Tami Makinde of ''

The Native ''The Native'' (stylized in all caps) is a Nigerian-based music magazine publishing in Lagos. Founded in 2016, ''The Native'' focuses primarily on music, style, and art, championing the sounds and culture of tomorrow, today. History ''The Na ...

'' described ''Realms'' as a satisfying, familiar collection that showcases Wande Coal's mastery of melody, despite its lack of artistic boldness. Makinde noted, "Wande Coal is and will always be a certified hitmaker," but felt the EP didn't push boundaries, instead offering infectious tunes like "Naughty Girl" and "Ode Lo Like" that fit comfortably in Coal's catalog. The review highlights that Realms doesn't aim for grand statements, yet effectively captures the "good feeling" fans expect.

Track listing

All tracks written by Oluwatobi "Wande Coal" Ojosipe. Notes * signifies a co-producer

Personnel

* Oluwatobi "Wande Coal" Ojosipe – vocals, songwriter * Olubowale "Wale" Akintimehin – vocals *

– production * Melvitto – production * Lekka Beatz – production * Dapiano – production * The Sharpshutaz – production *

– production * Screwface – production, executive producer * Trehy Harris – mixing engineer

Release history

References

{{reflist Afro pop music albums 2020 EPs Albums produced by Sarz Albums produced by Pheelz Empire Distribution albums Wande Coal albums