WENA – "Wytrych" (The Pickaxe). Is she still in top form after such a long break?

"This album is the end. This album is the beginning" – this is the slogan with which WENA announces his return with "Wytrych," recorded with producer Amatowsky. After several years of silence, the rapper returns with material that is supposed to be more of a key to his current mindset than another attempt at a trend-chasing album.

In this article, I take a closer look at "Wytrych": its context, sound, lyrics, initial reviews, and listener feedback. Finally, I answer directly: is WENA still in form after all this time? And who is this album for?

Returning after years: where was WENA when he was gone?

"Wytrych" is WENA's first full-length material since 2019's "Montana Max," marking a return after about six years without a new solo album. In the meantime, the rapper has significantly reduced his presence in the rap game and pursued professional matters outside of music, which he himself has described in interviews.

In an interview with Czwórka, he says bluntly that "this album wasn't supposed to happen" – it was Amatowsky who approached him with the idea of ​​a collaborative album and "resurrected it" after six years. He emphasizes that he wanted to make "Wytrych" on his own terms: as a quality product, musically and visually, without competing for reach and playlists.

In an interview for newonce, the rapper adds that he is aware that "Wytrych" will not achieve commercial success on the level of "Dalekie Bliskozenia" or "Nowa Ziemi" , but that is not his goal. It's a good teaser of what to expect from the album: a more conscious return "to their own people" than an offensive against the mainstream.

The sound of "Wytrych" - Amatowsky as co-author of the atmosphere

The entire album was produced by Amatowsky, who previously collaborated with donGURALesko and Ryfa Ri, among others. This can be heard in the coherence of the sound: "Wytrych" is not a compilation of random beats, but a coherent, well-thought-out project of the MC-producer duo.

The descriptions of the album and singles paint a picture of an album that balances between classic, atmospheric rap and contemporary production:

• “I’m Coming” opens the album like a manifesto of return – entering the beat after years of break, without an unnecessary intro.

• “Wytrych” (the title track) continues this tone: it’s a track that’s meant to be the album’s calling card, with emotional weight and lines about coming to terms with oneself.

• “Najlepszy dla mnie” and “KR-Ó-L” are the singles that promoted the album – the former more personal, the latter with a clear, confident chorus, reinforced by DJ cuts.

These are not beats for TikTok – and WENA himself says he has no intention of “dancing and singing on TikTok.” It's more of a sound aimed at people who have been listening to rap in their headphones for years and can appreciate an album that maintains the atmosphere from the first to the last minute.

Lyrics: adult WENA between disappointment and peace

Lyrics have always been one of WENA's strongest points – and from the available fragments, descriptions and singles it is clear that "Wytrych" continues this direction , only from the perspective of a more mature guest.

The album description, repeated on pre-order pages, promises that:

"This album will reach your emotions. Directly. Right on target, to the dormant emotions you've long forgotten. It will show you who you really are. It will open you wide. Without question. Without invitation. This album is a lockpick."

The following themes recur in the songs promoting the album:

• disappointment with life and the industry (“I’m disappointed with life, I look the devil in the eye” – a line from the single “The Best for Me”, which CGM took as the title of the news),

• facing the past and one's own decisions,

• searching for meaning after thirty+, when the enthusiasm of the twenty-year-old has long since ended.

In an interview with Czwórka, WENA says that today, "the greatest art is maintaining a certain level of quality," and that many artists chase trends. He wants to oppose this kind of thinking and create music that is honest, even if it doesn't bring him a wave of new listeners.

This is also audible in the way he addresses "Wytrych" – he himself admits that it is an album for people who already know him and have been with him before, and not a product invented for a "new audience".

What are the reviews and listeners saying? First impressions of "Wytrych"

As of this writing, "Wytrych" is a recent release, so there aren't many full, classic reviews online yet. However, you can get a sense of the reception based on:

• descriptions on music websites and stores,

• interviews with WENA and Amatowsky,

• forum discussions and comments under singles.

News websites and stores (Popkiller, Empik, CGM) repeat the narrative about an emotional, very personal album that is supposed to be an "entrance to a world" to which the listener has not had access before.

In the comments on forums (including Ślizgawka) two main trends can be seen:

1. The enthusiasm of the "old" listeners

   • "We missed WENA on stage. There will definitely be some awesome songs."

   • People emphasize that they are excited about the comeback itself, they expect the same level as the previous albums and they appreciate the fact that WENA does not have to pretend to be anyone.

2. Skepticism of some forum users after singles

   • For some, the first single was "average", without the "claw of the first album".

   • There are comments about the "wooden entry to the beat" or the too "inflated" pre-order description.

   • At the same time, even skeptics write that they are waiting for the whole thing anyway, because they hope that the album as a "full picture" will perform better than individual singles.

In addition, there is the context from the interviews: WENA itself lowers expectations regarding reach and commerciality, focusing on quality and authenticity

In short:

• the scene's "core" of the audience is more in favor,

• some listeners have reservations about singles,

• but few people question the fact that WENA still knows what they're doing with their pen - the dispute is more about energy, sound and expectations after years of break.

So finally: is WENA in shape?

If we look at "Wytrych" through the prism of what WENA himself says about the album, how it is promoted and the first opinions – the answer is quite clear:

Yes, WENA is in shape, but it's a different form than ten years ago.

Some specific points:

1. Text form
   The lines still hold a lot of self-awareness, bitterness, observation, and life details. This isn't a rapper who returns years later and drops random punchlines over club beats—the narrative is coherent, and the message is heavier than in many younger acts.

2. Technical form
   WENA hasn't lost his flow, but naturally, he doesn't rap like the hungry twenty-year-old from his first album. For some listeners, this is a plus (mature, structured rap), for others, a minus (lacking a punch).

3. The artistic form as a whole
   "Wytrych" seems like an album that stands out for its cohesiveness: a single producer, a well-thought-out concept, and no pursuit of fashion. This is a strong point in an era when many albums are singles playlists.

4. Commercial form
   Here, WENA doesn't even try to pretend he wants to break into the charts. There are no choruses written for TikTok, no genre crossings. From the start, he says this is an album for those who have been with him for a long time .

So if you're expecting "new Lemons," radio hits and instant TikTok hype, "Wytrych" might seem too heavy, too personal and too closed.

If you want to hear what WENA 2025 sounds like : older, more battered by life, but still consistent and honest, "Wytrych" is a good test of his form. And in this category, he performs simply solidly.

Where to buy "Wytrych"? Physical and vinyl versions from Mechit.pl

If you want to have this return of WENA on your shelf, not only on streaming, "Wytrych" is available in the Mechit.pl store , including in a vinyl version.

In the release description you will find the slogan known from pre-orders:

"This album is a lockpick. It will open you wide. No questions asked. No invitation asked."

It's also a good mental shortcut of what this album is: an intimate key to the mind of a rapper who might not have recorded anything anymore, but who nevertheless returned – more for himself and his people than for the algorithms.

Summary for busy people

• “Wytrych” is WENA’s return after about 6 years without a new album.

• The whole thing was produced by Amatowsky, which creates a coherent, closed atmosphere.

• Lyrically, it's adult, sometimes bitter, but still very aware of WENA

• The album is consciously "unfashionable" - without chasing trends, but rather "for its own people".

• In its commercial form, WENA doesn't aim for the charts; in its artistic form, it still delivers.

• You can buy the physical edition of "Wytrych" at, among others, the Mechit.pl store.

If you want, in the next step I can add a short version of the review on social media (FB/IG) with a link to the store – for SEO purposes you already have a longer material ready.