Ogranya and WondaMagik use AfroR&B to tell a dysfunctional love story on 'Chronicles of Magik Vol. 1' [EP Review]

A few days ago, Nigerian singer, Ogranya released, 'Chronicles of Magik Vol. 1,' a 5-track collaborative EP with WondaMagik. For Ogranya, it marked his second EP of the year after Imperfect. It positions Ogranya as one of the hardest working acts in the Nigerian music industry.

For WondaMagik, this was his first EP since 'Oh My Christmas,' his collaborative EP with Tayo in 2017. This is not about talent or ability, this was about mastery of musicality and understanding of sound. WondaMagik and Ogranya perfectly compliment each other without ever seeming out of place.

The EP opens up to 'The Party,' a three and half minute palmwine music that sees Ogranya embody a man who seeks reassurance from a woman. But first, he wants her to do his band for him and party. On the beat, WondaMagik is like prime Spax meets IKON as Ogranya incorporates South-South Hi-Life deliveries into Afro&B - a beauty.

That beauty has nothing on 'Whaz E Gon' Be' though. The love story from 'The Party' seemed safe, but now the relationship is officially on the rocks and facing uncertainty. WondaMagik is a beast for this. This is the best song on this EP - no review can do justice, you have to listen.

'You Should Be With Me' is an Afro&B song that sees Ogranya try to convince a woman, who drifts away by the minute to be with him - it's almost a please. One question, homie did you cheat? Ah, confess o. 'Zombie' sounds like Kwaito meets Afro-House as Ogranya creates an amazing hook that's aided by imaginative sound engineering.

This one has the potential of another single. 'X' features Djeuno in its Dancehall/Latin-Pop spirit and once again, it's fire.

Final Thoughts

This is a quality EP that uses five stories to tell a linear story in which Ogranya embodies 2018 Offset, as he battles hard for love. But unlike Offset, it doesn't quite end well. One hopes Ogranya and WondaMagik work with Show Dem Camp soon. But before then, the prayer is that this quality EP gets spotlight.

This writer commends Ogranya for toning down his exceptional songwriting to make commercially viable music. That's something a lot of acts don't understand.

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

8.0 - Champion