Tay Iwar’s EP Wonderful is a vibrant, five-track statement piece that deepens his reputation as one of Nigeria’s most adventurous R&B and soul auteurs, and it arrives under the banner of CoolSweat in partnership with Benin City Entertainment, signaling a strategic new chapter for his global rollout.
Wonderful was released in early September 2025 as a concise, 15‑minute EP, officially credited to CoolSweat / Benin City Ent, with Tay Iwar himself at the creative center as singer, songwriter, and producer.
The alliance with Benin City Ent places the project within a growing ecosystem of African‑rooted, globally minded artists, giving the EP label infrastructure that understands both homegrown scenes and international R&B and alt‑soul audiences.
Sound and themes
Musically, the EP threads together contemporary R&B, soulful Afropop, and subtle electronic textures, leaning on warm bass, tactile percussion, and atmospheric synth work that will be familiar to fans of Tay’s earlier projects but feels sleeker and more distilled here.
Lyrically, Wonderful moves between intimacy and introspection: love and desire sit alongside self‑reflection, with melodies that favor soft falsettos, layered harmonies, and hooks that unfold gradually rather than chasing instant virality.
Cultural roots and Tiv influence
One of the defining aspects of Wonderful is how explicitly it leans into Tay Iwar’s Tiv heritage, weaving indigenous language, melodic phrasing, and rhythmic sensibilities into an otherwise global R&B palette.
This cultural grounding gives the EP a sense of place: even when the production feels ready for playlists in London or Los Angeles, there is a clear through‑line back to central Nigerian traditions and personal memory, turning the record into a quiet celebration of identity.
Across its five songs, Wonderful is sequenced like a short film: each track feels self‑contained but contributes to an emotional arc that moves from wonder and infatuation toward a more measured, reflective calm.
The tight runtime encourages repeat listens, and the absence of filler underscores Tay’s focus on arrangement and detail—every ad‑lib, backing vocal stack, and instrumental flourish is placed with intent rather than excess.
For Tay Iwar, Wonderful arrives after years of steady evolution across projects like Summer Breeze, GOLD II, and Reflection Station, positioning him firmly among Nigeria’s leaders in left‑of‑center R&B and alternative pop.
For Benin City Ent, the EP functions as both a creative statement and a calling card, demonstrating the company’s commitment to forward‑thinking, culturally rooted African music that can compete in the same spaces as mainstream R&B while retaining its own distinct voice.
