- Words Notion Staff
Nigerian pop powerhouse Kizz Daniel opens up about healing through music, collaborating with legends and new voices alike, and how vulnerability has reshaped his sound ahead of his much-anticipated Uncle K album.
After closing out 2024 with chart-topping singles, sold-out arenas, and a triumphant world tour marking a decade in the game, Kizz Daniel could have basked in the glow of legacy. Instead, he took a sharp creative detour. ‘Uncle K: Lemon Chase’, his surprise new EP and prelude to the long-awaited ‘Uncle K’ album, is not just a reset—it’s a quiet reckoning. Stripping back the spectacle, the seven-track project dives into the raw middle ground between grief and joy, chaos and clarity, with Kizz Daniel balancing personal reflection and sonic experimentation in a way that feels both intentional and unguarded.
Across the EP, Kizz Daniel draws strength from vulnerability, opening with the body-positive anthem ‘Black Girl Magic’ and closing with ‘Police’, a tender collaboration with Angelique Kidjo and Johnny Drille. In between, he leans into grief (‘Al Jannah’), calm defiance (‘Peace I Chose’), and romantic depth (‘Titi’), curating a sequence that mirrors life’s emotional arc. With help from longtime collaborators RewardBeatz and Blaisebeatz, and unexpected turns like recording lyrics written by Runtown, Kizz Daniel steps into a new season as an artist not chasing a hit, but chasing meaning. In this conversation, he opens up about the creative process behind Lemon Chase, the emotional leap of trusting others with his voice, and the kind of legacy he’s crafting on his own terms.
‘Lemon Chase’ feels like a deeply personal prelude to your upcoming ‘Uncle K’ album. What emotional or life moment sparked the idea for this EP?
If you noticed, the track listing on the EP was in the style of episodes because every song is from a particular moment. I don’t think a particular moment sparked the idea. It was a myriad of moments and as you can see from the result, it’s a sweet-sour EP with the highs and the lows. Every song has a different theme, and the entirety of it is the beauty that is the Lemon Chase.
You’ve said the EP explores the messy beauty of life. Which track challenged you the most to stay vulnerable during the writing or recording process?
It was Al-Jannah. It’s not the easiest thing to connect with grief, write about and then record about it. You know something about grief? It never leaves. You just try your best to stay afloat. As someone who has gone through that multiple times and listened to the words from my featured colleagues on the track, it was hard.
‘Peace I Chose’ marks your first time recording a song written by another artist. What made you trust Runtown with that space, and how did that creative shift impact you?
Runtown is a musical genius, the best word I can use to describe him, an accomplished artist and songwriter as well. Being in the same space with him, he’s truly gifted and it’s so easy for him as well. The Chutzpah, this je n’sais quoi he possesses when it comes to making music, it’s really admirable. I knew we created magic, and I really did fall in love with his creative process.
There’s a distinct emotional arc across these seven tracks – from grief to joy, reflection to romance. How intentional was the song sequence, and what story does it tell when played from start to finish?
Very intentional. I was quite adamant on the track listing as I wanted my vision for it to be executed as I had intended. It’s a circle, not a straight line. That was the story I wanted to tell. I want someone to listen to the entirety of the EP and want to go again because at every point, an emotion you are feeling is in there.
You collaborate with icons like Angelique Kidjo and rising stars like Fola and Odumodublvck on this EP. What do you look for in a collaborator, and how do you balance legacy with new voices?
Personally, I work with people I can connect with, inside and outside of the music. Everyone I featured on this EP was really intentional; they had the quality to balance these tracks. Every loud voice in this industry started out small; it’s only right to acknowledge the talent you can see. Legacy is nothing if it doesn’t make space for new voices.
Production-wise, this project brings together some of your closest collaborators like RewardBeatz and Blaisebeatz. What conversations did you have with them to shape the unique sound of Lemon Chase?
These are all people who understand me and who understand what I’m looking for already. When we get together, I just let them know how I wanna approach a record, and they bring these ideas to life. The one thing they all knew was that nothing was off-limits.
‘Black Girl Magic’ opens the EP with a powerful message of body positivity and celebration. What inspired that tribute, and why was it important to start the project with that tone?
We live in times where shaming is so much of a problem, we have trolls picking on people for the slightest reasons and trying to amplify their flaws to make them feel less than they’re worth which is really sad and I just was seeing a lot of it and that kind of had an impact in the creation of that song. ‘Black Girl Magic’ is for my sister, my wife, and every Black woman – it doesn’t matter what size you are or how you’re built, every Black woman deserves to be celebrated loudly, boldly, and first. The EP needed to begin on a note of positivity.
You’ve described this project as “music for when you’re healing, hoping, or remembering.” What moment in your own life made you realize the power of music for those quiet, reflective states?
When my dad passed. I couldn’t talk to anyone, but I could listen and music helped fill that void I felt from the grief. I wanted ‘Lemon Chase’ to be that kind of companion, not loud, just present.
With your ‘Vado at 10’ tour and global success in 2024, how has the experience of touring and connecting with international audiences influenced the themes or sound of your recent work?
Touring reminded me that music is spiritual. I saw people scream, laugh in languages I don’t speak. It pushed me to stop overthinking sound and focus more on feeling. That’s why ‘Lemon Chase’ has more mood than polish, it’s less about the charts and more about the heart.
As you gear up for the full ‘Uncle K’ album, what do you hope people take away from this EP – and how do you want it to shape their expectations for what’s coming next?
I want people to know that whatever Kizz Daniel is putting out next is intentional. I’m trying to make music in my own lane that connects with the listeners. I want everyone to be able to pick up a Kizz Daniel record, spin it and want to spin it again. ‘Uncle K’ the album is coming and it’s definitely going to be better.