Nothing in ‘S2’ suggests Wizkid intends to vie into a different sonic direction.

Before Wizkid released his hugely successful Grammy-nominated fourth album ‘Made In Lagos’, he tested the R&B leaning arrangement that defined the album on the 2019 EP ‘Sound Man’.

After his fifth album ‘More Love, Less Ego’ failed to hit the commercial heights set by its predecessor, Wizkid was expected to deliver a hard reset, and this comes in the form of volume 2 of his ‘Sound Man’ EP.

With the Detty December festivities in full gear, most listeners had already given up hope on any potential release from the Wizkid. Not even the unusual social ubiquitousness that followed his mother’s burial prepared listeners for the announcement of a new EP.

In a year where he has observed the heated Afrobeats scene from a leisurely distance, Wizkid chose to have the final say via an EP that offers the familiar music that started with ‘Sound Man Vol 1.’

Across the four tracks, Wizkid eases into the songs in the leisurely manner with which he carries himself while offering insights into his state of mind and restating his place in the scheme of things.

Similar to how the ‘Soundman EP’ was largely curated by talented Blaq Jerzee, sensational hitmaking producer P Priime produces 3 of the four tracks in ‘S2’.

‘S2’ isn’t quite different in form from what Wizkid attempted to do with ‘MLLE’ where he adds a defining Log drum touch to distinguish it from the tropical feel of ‘Made In Lagos’.

His melodies, flow, and technique in ‘S2’ are similar to the style he deploys in his last two projects as he opts for mid-tempo R&B flows aided by lush strings and percussions.

When Wizkid sings about love in the Wande Coal assisted ‘Ololufe,’ he flexes his vocals in R&B fashion on a song where the exploration of Amapiano is more compelling than his attempt in ‘MLLE’.

Wizkid has had to deal with significant personal loss in 2023 and ‘Diamond’ captures some of his musings as he sings about going through tough times and hoping for better days. His flows are again familiar and the production follows the similar pattern of his previous two projects.

He thins out his vocals as he whispers the infectious chorus of ‘Energy’ where the flow is familiar as he glides on the beat while singing about a good time on a song that’s arranged to offer the same.

Zlatan covers himself in ‘Glory’ on ‘IDK’ where he delivers smooth bars as Wizkid relied on his melody-molding ability to craft a record where he taps the words of Robert Schuller to spread a YOLO message.

For listeners who have spent the whole year waiting for new records from Wizkid, ‘S2’ offers much-needed gratification even though it’s not particularly different from what they have been getting from him since 2019.

It’s curious to see if ‘S2’ would resonate with listeners and enjoy the commercial success that eluded ‘MLLE’, especially considering their large sonic similarities.

Overall, nothing in ‘S2’ suggests Wizkid intends to vie into a different sonic direction as he retains the similar elements that defined his last three projects. Or perhaps it’s the last offering of an era that kicked off in 2019 with the ‘Sound Man’ EP. I guess we all have to wait and see.

Ratings: /10

• 0-1.9: Flop

• 2.0-3.9: Near fall

• 4.0-5.9: Average

• 6.0-7.9: Victory

• 8.0-10: Champion

Pulse Rating: /10

Album Sequencing: 1.6/2

Songwriting, Themes, and Delivery: 1.3/2

Production: 1.4/2

Enjoyability and Satisfaction: 1.3/2

Execution: 1.4/2

TOTAL – 7.0 – Victory