Rema – Bad Commando EP: The Third Chapter of His Breakthrough Year

In 2019, Rema was moving at a remarkable pace.

After introducing himself with his self-titled Rema EP in March and following it with Freestyle EP in June, the young Nigerian artist returned before the year was over with another project.

On October 4, 2019, Rema released Bad Commando, his third extended play of the year through Jonzing World and Mavin Records. The four-track project was executive produced by D’Prince, with additional production from Thisizlondon, Altims, 1Mind, Kill September and OVÖ.

Coming only months after his debut, Bad Commando showed that Rema was not simply enjoying a brief breakout moment. He was actively building a musical identity that could stand on its own.

Rema – Bad Commando EP

The EP contains four tracks:

1. Bad Commando
2. Lady
3. Rewind
4. Spaceship Jocelyn

The project runs for approximately 11 minutes, making it another short but focused release in Rema’s early catalog.

While the project is short, the four songs explore noticeably different sounds.

There is Latin-inspired pop, Afropop, dancehall influence, alternative R&B and trap-like experimentation.

That variety became one of the most interesting characteristics of Rema’s music.

“Bad Commando”

The opening and title track immediately establishes the attitude behind the project.

“Bad Commando” is energetic, confident and slightly unpredictable. Rema uses the song to introduce the persona behind the title, presenting himself as part of a new generation of African artists ready to take their sound beyond traditional boundaries.

The song was produced by Thisizlondon, with Rema’s vocals sitting over guitar and percussion-driven production. Pitchfork selected “Bad Commando” as its “The Ones” track of the day, highlighting Rema’s youthful energy, soft melodies and versatility.

The title wasn’t chosen randomly either.

Rema explained at the time that Bad Commando represented his identity and the new generation he believed he was part of — a force determined to take a new African sound to the world.

That ambition would become increasingly important to Rema’s career.

“Lady”

The second song, “Lady,” moves into a more romantic direction.

Produced by Altims, the track is an Afropop record built around Rema’s admiration for a woman.

Compared with the aggressive attitude of the title track, “Lady” allows Rema to showcase the softer and more melodic side of his artistry.

The song also demonstrates how comfortable Rema was moving between different styles without abandoning his recognizable vocal identity.

Pitchfork described “Lady” as a lovestruck Afropop song and praised the versatility displayed across the EP.

“Rewind”

The third track, “Rewind,” takes another turn.

Produced by 1Mind, Kill September and OVÖ, the song incorporates elements of Caribbean dancehall and gives the EP another distinct texture.

The record is smoother and more relaxed than the title track, showing Rema experimenting with rhythms beyond the Nigerian Afropop sound.

This willingness to borrow from different genres was becoming one of the clearest signs of where Rema’s career could go.

He wasn’t trying to sound like one particular Nigerian artist.

Instead, he was pulling influences from different parts of the world and filtering them through his own musical personality.

“Spaceship Jocelyn”

The final song on the EP, “Spaceship Jocelyn,” is perhaps one of its most experimental moments.

The record leans into a more atmospheric, emo-trap sound, with Rema using a higher-pitched vocal style.

It closes the project on a very different note from where it began.

That contrast is part of what makes Bad Commando interesting.

The EP isn’t built around one formula.

Each song explores a different musical direction, but Rema remains the central thread connecting everything together.

Rema’s Third EP of 2019

One of the biggest stories surrounding Bad Commando was simply how quickly Rema was releasing music.

Rema EP arrived in March.

Freestyle EP followed in June.

Then Bad Commando arrived in October.

That meant Rema had released three EPs in just six months. Contemporary coverage described Bad Commando as his third EP of the year and noted the rapid progression of his 2019 campaign.

For a 19-year-old artist who had only recently entered the mainstream, it was an impressive run.

Rather than allowing the momentum from “Dumebi” to fade, Rema kept giving listeners new music.

Building the “Rema” Identity

By the time Bad Commando arrived, Rema’s identity was becoming clearer.

His earlier releases had already established that he could sing, rap and experiment with different production styles.

But Bad Commando pushed that idea further.

The project presented Rema as an artist who didn’t want to be restricted to one genre.

He could make an Afropop love song like “Lady,” experiment with Caribbean sounds on “Rewind,” explore trap on “Spaceship Jocelyn,” and then deliver the energetic title track.

That versatility would eventually become one of the defining qualities of his career.

The Visual Side of Bad Commando

Rema also released a music video for the title track alongside the EP.

The visual, directed by Seun Opabisi and Kewa Oni, complemented the song’s futuristic and rebellious identity.

The visual presentation was important because Rema wasn’t only developing a musical identity.

He was developing an entire aesthetic.

From his fashion and artwork to his videos and performances, Rema was beginning to establish the visual world that would later become an important part of his brand.

What Critics Thought

Bad Commando received a mixed critical response.

Some critics appreciated the experimentation and the fact that Rema continued to push beyond conventional Afropop.

Pitchfork was particularly positive about the project’s versatility, pointing to the contrast between “Lady,” “Rewind,” “Spaceship Jocelyn” and the title track. The publication ultimately singled out “Bad Commando” as an especially strong example of Rema’s developing sound.

Pulse Nigeria, however, offered a more critical assessment, describing the project as highly experimental while arguing that it did not reach the same level as Rema’s first two EPs.

That mixed reception makes sense when looking back at the project.

Rema was clearly experimenting.

Not every experiment was going to land equally.

But the willingness to experiment was precisely what made his early catalog so interesting.

The Significance of Bad Commando

Today, Bad Commando can be viewed as an important bridge between the Rema who first appeared in early 2019 and the international star he would eventually become.

The project demonstrated that Rema wasn’t interested in simply repeating the formula behind “Dumebi.”

He was already thinking bigger.

His sound was becoming more international, his visual identity was becoming more defined, and his confidence was growing with every release.

That evolution would become even more obvious in the years that followed.

From Bad Commando to Rema Compilation

After Bad Commando, Rema’s next major project would not be another traditional EP.

In 2020, he released Rema Compilation, a project that brought together material from his early releases while also highlighting some of the music he had released during this rapidly developing period.

The compilation would serve as an important bridge between Rema’s early EP era and the much bigger album era that followed.

But before that happened, Bad Commando closed out an extraordinary first year for the young artist.

Final Thoughts

Rema – Bad Commando is an important chapter in the story of Rema’s rise.

Released on October 4, 2019, it was his third EP in less than seven months and demonstrated an artist who was rapidly developing his own musical language.

With “Bad Commando,” “Lady,” “Rewind,” and “Spaceship Jocelyn,” Rema explored several different sounds while maintaining the youthful energy and melodic identity that had already made him stand out.

The project may not have received the same universal praise as his debut, but its importance goes beyond reviews.

It showed an artist willing to take risks.

And those risks would eventually help Rema create the global sound that would define his later career.

Next in the Rema project series: Rema Compilation (2020).