King of Love is the third studio album by Nigerian singer Kizz Daniel released on 25 June 2020 through Flyboy I.N.C.
Background
Announced through his Instagram page, the album was initially teased to have five tracks and a different cover art.[1]
Concept and themes
According to Kizz Daniel, King of Love is centered on love ranging from romantic relationships to deeper emotional connections. In an interview with Nigerian music magazine, NotJustOk, he expressed that the album's primary aim is to spread love across the world through his music.[2]
Singles
The album's lead single "Fvck You" was released on 15 March 2019. The song was produced by Young Jonn,[3] and it gained significant traction from an open-verse challenge with artists like Tiwa Savage,[4]Seyi Shay,[5]Ruggedman,[6]Falz, Simi, Pasuma, Sound Sultan, and Wyclef Jean, among others participating.[7] The song explores themes of betrayal, bitterness, and toxic relationships. Daniel sings about feeling hurt because he's not his partner's first choice, expressing frustration and slut-shaming her for her decisions. While the song reflects real-life situations, it has been critiqued for potentially reinforcing negative societal attitudes toward women and consent.[8] The second single "Pak 'n' Go" was released on 4 October 2019 and was produced by DJ Coublon. It explores themes of dissatisfaction in relationships, where men are encouraged to leave women who ask for more than they receive. The lyrics have been criticized for reinforcing patriarchal attitudes, especially with lines suggesting a woman's worth is tied to her marriageability. While Kizz Daniel claims the song is meant to "empower under-appreciated lovers," the article argues that the lyrics do the opposite, diminishing women rather than uplifting anyone.[9] The third single "Jaho" was released on 15 December 2019 and was also produced by Coublon.[10] The fourth single "Boys Are Bad" was released on 25 November 2020. It arrived with an Aje Filmworks-directed video and was produced by Philkeyz and DJ Coublon.[11][12]
Motolani Alake of Pulse Nigeria praised King of Love as "the best Afro-pop album that Nigerian music has seen in 2020", and highlighting Kizz Daniel's creative songwriting and resonant storytelling. He gave the album a rating of 8.0/10.[13] Emmanuel Esomnofu of NotJustOk commended King of Love as a great project and "already one of the best Afro Pop offerings of the year."[14]
