Wanted (Wande Coal album)

2015 album by Wande Coal

Wanted

Studio album by

Wande Coal

Released| 26 October 2015 (2015-10-26)
Genre| Hip hop
Length| 75:32
Label| Black Diamond
Producer|

* J Fem
* Xela
* Maleek Berry
* Major Bangz
* Sarz
* Da BeatFreakz
* Legendury Beatz
* LeriQ

Wande Coal chronology
| Mushin 2 Mo' Hits
(2009)  | Wanted
(2015)  | Realms
(2020)

|
|

Singles from  Wanted

1. "My Way"
Released: 14 February 2013
2. "Amorawa"
Released: 29 November 2013
3. "Baby Hello"
Released: 5 April 2014
4. "Ashimapeyin"
Released: 1 July 2015
5. "Same Shit"
Released: 9 September 2015

Wanted is the second studio album by Nigerian singer Wande Coal. It was released on 26 October 2015 through Black Diamond Entertainment. It serves as a follow-up to his debut, Mushin 2 Mo' Hits (2009). The album features a number of other artists including AKA, 2Face Idibia, Burna Boy, Maleek Berry, and Wizkid,[1] along with production from J Fem, Xela, Maleek Berry, Major Bangz, Sarz, Da BeatFreakz, Legendury Beatz, and LeriQ.[2]

## Background

[edit]

Wanted is the first Wande Coal album in six years, and his first album since the dissolution of Mo' Hits, a record label founded by fellow Nigerian musicians Don Jazzy and D'banj, in 2011. In an interview with Vanguard, he revealed that he chose to work with Don Jazzy over D'banj due to their strong bond and Don Jazzy's role as a producer. Despite not having a contract, Wande Coal collaborated with Don Jazzy out of mutual respect. In 2013, Coal and Jazzy had a disagreement which led to Coal deciding to pursue his own creative path. He left Don Jazzy, leading to the start of a new project. The album, originally close to completion, had to be reworked from scratch, resulting in the delay of its release.[3]

Wande Coal announced the album's release on 16 October 2015. He stated, "Finally, Black Diamond presents 'WANTED', My sophomore album. This is for the die hard fans, the critics, haters, the media houses and more importantly, those who never stopped believing. This is a reminder of who I was and who I have evolved into. This is where I want to be; WANTED".[4]

## Singles

[edit]

The album's lead single "My Way" was released on 14 February 2013. It was produced by Maleek Berry.[5] The second single, "Amorawa", featuring Burna Boy was released on 29 November 2013. It was produced by LeriQ.[6] The third single off the album "Baby Hello" was released on 5 April 2014 and was also produced by Maleek Berry.[7] The fourth single, "Ashimapeyin" was released on 1 July 2015 and features production by Sarz.[8] The fifth and final single "Same Shit" features AKA and production from Da Beatfreakz. It was released on 9 September 2015.[9]

## Critical reception

[edit]

Professional ratingsReview scores

Source| Rating
NotJustOk| 5/10[10]
tooXclusive| [2]
Pulse Nigeria| [11]

Wanted received mixed reviews from music critics. Joey Akan of Pulse Nigeria praised the album as a strong comeback, highlighting its mix of commercial appeal and artistic depth. He noted that the album, though more "patchwork than conceptual," showcased Wande Coal’s "dexterity of sound and a shrewd understanding of the market", describing tracks like "Wanted" and "Monster" as Wande at his best. He rated the album 3.5/5, calling it "good for Nigeria".[11] Tola Sarumi of NotJustOk found the album underwhelming, citing a lack of artistic hunger, weak production choices, and limited standout tracks. While praising songs like "Adura", "Monster", and "Ashimapeyin", Sarumi concluded, "Wanted has been found wanting." The album was rated 5/10.[10]

Ogaga Sakpaide of tooXclusive critiqued Wanted as a disappointing follow-up to his debut, highlighting its lack of "artistic growth and depth" despite rare flashes of brilliance. He described it as a "fast food album" filled with "ordinary fillers," with standout moments like "Superwoman" and the Burna Boy-assisted remix of "Wanted" overshadowed by mediocrity. The album received a 2/5 rating.[2]

Abisola Alawode of Leadership described Wanted as a good album that showcased his talent but fell short of greatness. While tracks like "Adura" and "Superwoman" were highlights, and Wande’s vocals remained "unrivalled", the album had some "unnecessarily boring" moments like "We Ball" and certain skits. Alawode praised Wande’s chemistry with Maleek Berry and called the production "mostly top-class" but noted room for improvement in mixing.[12]

Oris Aigbokhaevbolo of Music in Africa critiqued Wanted as a flawed attempt to reclaim his debut’s magic, noting that while songs like "Ashimapeyin," "Same Shit," and "Make You Mine" stood out, the album was bogged down by "uneven production" and "forgettable lyrics". He observed that Wanted failed to reinvent or capture the zeitgeist, calling it a "losing game" and lamenting that the skits referred to a "non-existent record".[13]

### Accolades

[edit]

Awards and nominations for Wanted Organization  | Year  | Category  | Result  | Ref.

|
|
|
|

The Headies | 2016 | Best R&B/Pop Album | Nominated  | [14]
Album of the Year

## Track listing

[edit]

Wanted track listingNo.| Title| Writer(s)| Producer(s)| Length

|
|
|
|

1.| "Intro (Skit)" (featuring Seyi Law)|  | —| 1:06
2.| "Adura"| Oluwatobi Ojosipe| Sarz| 4:22
3.| "Superwoman"| Ojosipe| Xela| 4:56
4.| "We Ball"| Ojosipe| Maleek Berry| 3:19
5.| "Same Shit" (featuring AKA)|

* Ojosipe
* Kiernan Forbes

| Da BeatFreakz| 3:24
6.| "Monster"| Ojosipe| Legendury Beatz| 3:25
7.| "Skit" (featuring Falz)|  | —| 1:34
8.| "Wanted"| Ojosipe| Major Bangz| 4:14
9.| "African Lady"| Ojosipe| Maleek Berry| 3:16
10.| "Ashimapeyin"| Ojosipe| Sarz| 3:48
11.| "Weekend" (featuring Maleek Berry)|

* Ojosipe
* Maleek Shoyebi

| Maleek Berry| 3:50
12.| "Plenty Love"| Ojosipe| Maleek Berry| 3:26
13.| "Skit" (featuring IamJimmie)|  | —| 0:45
14.| "Make You Mine" (featuring 2Face Idibia)|

* Ojosipe
* Innocent Idibia

| Legendury Beatz| 3:16
15.| "Lowkey"| Ojosipe| Maleek Berry| 3:13
16.| "Iyawo Mi"| Ojosipe| J Fem| 3:28
17.| "Jelly"| Ojosipe| Maleek Berry| 2:51
18.| "Baby Hello"| Ojosipe| Maleek Berry| 3:29
19.| "Wanted" (remix; featuring Burna Boy)|

* Ojosipe
* Damini Ogulu

| Sarz| 4:48
20.| "Kpono" (featuring Wizkid)|

* Ojosipe
* Ayodeji Balogun

| Maleek Berry| 3:02
21.| "Outro" (featuring King Spesh)|  | —| 1:06

Bonus tracksNo.| Title| Writer(s)| Producer(s)| Length

|
|
|
|

22.| "Amorawa" (featuring Burna Boy)|

* Ojosipe
* Ogulu

| LeriQ| 4:02
23.| "My Way"| Ojosipe| Maleek Berry| 3:57
Total length:| 75:32

Notes

* "—" denotes a skit

## Release history

[edit]

List of release dates, showing region, formats, label, editions and reference  Region  | Date  | Format(s)  | Label  | Edition(s)

|
|
|
|

Worldwide  | 26 October 2015[15] |

* CD
* digital download

| Black Diamond  | Standard edition

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Badmus, Kayode (24 October 2015). "2face, Wizkid, AKA feature on Wande Coal's upcoming album 'Wanted' [Tracklist]". Nigerian Entertainment Today. Retrieved 29 October 2015.
2. ^ a b c Sakpaide, Ogaga (11 November 2015). "ALBUM REVIEW: Wande Coal – Wanted". tooXclusive. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
3. ^ Kehinde Ajose (26 October 2015). "I miss Don Jazzy, Wande Coal cries out". Vanguard. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
4. ^ Mayowa (16 October 2015). "Wande Coal To Drop First Album Post-MAVIN". Channels TV. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
5. ^ O, Ovie (14 February 2015). "Wande Coal - My Way (Prod by Maleek Berry)". NotJustOk. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
6. ^ Alonge, Osagie (29 November 2013). "NETPod: Wande Coal duets with Burna Boy on 'Amorawa'". Nigerian Entertainment Today. Archived from the original on 5 December 2013. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
7. ^ Adenuga, Wale. "Wande Coal – Baby Hello (Prod by Maleek Berry)". tooXclusive. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
8. ^ Adesida, Olumide. "Wande Coal drops new tune, 'Ashimapeyin'". Nigerian Entertainment Today. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
9. ^ EGO (9 September 2015). "VIDEO: Wande Coal ft. AKA – Same Sh$t". NotJustOk. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
10. ^ a b Sarumi, Tola (6 November 2015). "Album Review: Wande Coal – Wanted". NotJustOk. Archived from the original on 7 November 2015. Retrieved 21 January 2025.
11. ^ a b Akan, Joey (27 October 2015). "Wande Coal's triumphant return is extremely "Wanted" and impressive". Pulse Nigeria. Archived from the original on 16 March 2016. Retrieved 29 October 2015.
12. ^ Alawode, Abisola (20 November 2015). "Nigeria: Review of Wande Coal's Wanted Album". allAfrica. Archived from the original on 22 November 2015. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
13. ^ Aigbokhaevbolo, Oris (10 November 2015). "Wande Coal — Wanted". Music in Africa. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
14. ^ "The Headies Awards 2016 : Complete list of Nominees". The Headies. 25 October 2016. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
15. ^ "Wanted (Bonus Track Version) by Wande Coal on iTunes". iTunes. Apple Inc. 26 October 2015. Archived from the original on 6 April 2016. Retrieved 1 February 2025.

*[Ref.]: References
*[No.]: Number