Artistes who need a comeback

Wande Coal
To say that Wande Coal has disappointed many with the pace of his career may well be the understatement of the century. After he left Don Jazzy’s Mavins, and established his own Black Diamond Entertainment, it was believed that he would eventually soar and claim his rightful spot at the top of the music industry’s food chain. But that did not come to be.

Wande was missing from virtually all the big concerts that took place in the country in 2016, and he didn’t feature in any international or local collaborations either.

His musical rating has dropped, and without mincing words, he is no longer a force to be reckoned with in the industry.

However, his talent is top-notch, and he is still one of the best vocalists in Nigeria. 2017 may well be his rebound year; just one major hit from him, and he could be the darling of everyone again.

Korede Bello

A bold fan tweeted at Don Jazzy in the latter part of 2016 that Korede Bello was his worst investment. Like a mother hen protective of her chicks, Don Jazzy fired back that Korede had made him hundreds of millions richer, and has 1.9 million fans on Instagram. Social media is indeed critical to artistes’ success these days, but it is by no means one of the top bragging rights of serious entertainers.

In 2016, Korede didn’t headline any major show, except the ones he went with the whole Mavin crew. One and Only and Romantic did quite well, but they are by no means among the biggest hits of the year.

There is no doubt that Korede Bello is talented and handsome, but he urgently needs to rework his craft, and give the market what it needs. There is a reason God Win was such a phenomenal hit. He ought to go back to study that song critically, and find the magic formula in it, and apply more of it to his music. That’s the only way he may do well in 2017.

Ice Prince

Everybody Loves Ice Prince was the title of this rapper’s debut album, but it is no longer certain if that is true.

Virtually nothing much was heard from him in 2016, and several rappers like Ycee, Falz and Phyno have kicked him to the curb.

The Oleku rapper must get his acts together if he still wants to enjoy the acclaim he had in the early part of his career. He still has an incredible following and swag that he can leverage on to regain dominance in 2017.

Chidinma Ekile

Chidinma’s talent can’t be doubted, but her relevance in the music industry is in question at the moment. She needs to fasten her iro and adjust her buba if she wants to stay in the game.

Her separation from Capital Hill Records shouldn’t destabilise her that much, she needs to go into the studio, churn out hits and prove that she can stand on her own. These days when people list the top female artistes in Nigeria, they usually don’t mention Chidinma’s name. She can still perform that Kedike magic to catapult herself to prominence.

D’banj

artistes-who-need-a-comebackAnybody who doesn’t believe that ‘nothing lasts forever’ only needs to take a cue from D’banj’s life. Some years ago, he was a god in the Nigerian entertainment industry. He pioneered several feats in the industry, and was getting truckloads of accolades. But suddenly, he broke up with his former producer and business partner, Don Jazzy, and the beat changed. Now, D’banj is struggling to be relevant.

However, he still has a big name, he is hard-working and he is a quintessential entertainer. D’banj still has what it takes to get fans eating off the palms of his hands, and 2017 could be the year when he takes back the throne.

P-Square

Peter and Paul Okoye aka P-Square are still among the biggest artistes in the continent, but their position is shaky.

Their off and on relationship and incessant public quarrels in 2016 ensured that they were in the news more for the wrong reasons, and at a point, fans got tired of their shenanigans. The artistes also boycotted many shows even after the organisers had negotiated with them, and that put a dent on their professional integrity.

However, the brothers kissed and made up in the latter part of 2016, and they celebrated their comeback with the song, Bank Alert, which is still doing quite well. P-Square has often shown that it knows how to court publicity to its advantage, and 2017 could be a very big year for them depending on what they have in stock for fans.

Iyanya

Iyanya’s career is not so vibrant at the moment. In 2016, he was largely silent, and this created a gap between him and his fans. He later parted ways with the Ubi Franklin-led MMMG record label, and pitched his tent with maverick producer, Don Jazzy’s Mavin Records. Their first experiment, Up to Something, didn’t do so well, but the both of them are gifted, and their young collaboration may only be experiencing teething problems. 2017 could be their year to unleash on the world a magical partnership that will leave fans in awe.

Copyright PUNCH.