🔎 Our verdict: 7.2 → “Solid Cut”
🎧 Standouts: MERCY PLEASE, WONDERFUL
Following his earlier 2025 release, Reflection Station, Nigerian singer-songwriter and producer Tay Iwar returns with WONDERFUL, his second EP of the year. Hailing from Benue—a region not often represented in mainstream Nigerian music—Iwar continues to carve out a distinct musical signature rooted in Afrofusion, Alté, R&B, pop, and dance.
The five-track, fifteen-minute EP showcases Iwar’s signature style: smooth, midtempo vocals layered over lush instrumentation and digital production that subtly echoes traditional Tiv musical elements. Notably, the use of the gidô (a Tiv horn) and native drumming patterns adds cultural depth, blending modern sounds with an ethnic legacy.
The EP features songwriting and production from Iwar himself, bAd Entity, Somtochukwu Madu, Anoop D’Souza, Henry Was, Sara Madani, and more. It is a cohesive, culturally rich body of work that reflects Iwar’s consistent output and evolving artistry.
Visually, the project is supported by minimalist lyric videos and visualisers featuring dark bluish-green tones, along with black-and-white striped clothing—a motif symbolic of Tiv traditional attire. These visuals mirror the moody, atmospheric tone of the music.
The title track samples Zule-Zoo’s 2007 hit, Necessary, paying homage to another indigenous Benue act. It is the most rhythmically energetic track on the EP, yet it maintains a brooding feel through low-pitched instrumentation and discordant harmonies. The digital percussion and sampled vocals blend seamlessly, showcasing Iwar’s Afrofusion mastery.
WONDERFUL is a compact, genre-blending project that reflects a broader movement in contemporary Afrobeats – one where artists are increasingly fusing traditional sounds, rhythms, and languages with modern pop and R&B frameworks. It reaffirms R&B’s distinct place within the Afrobeats ecosystem as the genre’s emotional core, softening its edges while deepening its soul.