From his breakout in 2014 with Woju to now, with the arrival of his first single of the year, Energy, it is clear that the Kizz Daniel reign just won’t let up.
“Mi o ni ju 30 seconds lo on any beat I go chop am raw.”
And he proves it.
On Energy with G4ZI, Kizz Daniel only appears for about thirty seconds, and he completely bodies the track. Even as a feature, it already sets the tone for Vado’s year. We’ll definitely be expecting him to continue on this trajectory, giving us more of those sultry vocals over nostalgic, infectious, crisp beats.
Did he already beat expectations? Yes. But even without expectations, Energy feeds your pure listener heart.
There’s something smooth about the way both voices sit on the beat. It’s catchy without trying too hard, and that replay value kicks in almost immediately. The beat feels light but addictive, and the blend between both artists makes the song flow effortlessly from start to finish. You can’t deny its breezy, almost weightless rhythm that lingers even after the song ends.
Energy is officially certified as ‘that’ song.
In light of this, we have taken it upon ourselves to dive back into the timeless discography that is Kizz Daniel’s. You are welcome!
HIS BREAKOUT
2014 marked the arrival of someone we’d eventually come to know as one of Africa’s most sought-after Afropop kings. Kizz Daniel, born Daniel Oluwatobiloba Anidugbe, had just been signed to G-Worldwide in 2013, right after graduating from FUNAAB.
You can almost picture it. Fresh out of school, a vault full of songs from those years, and that quiet determination of someone who knows he has something to prove.
He stepped in with Shoye on May 1, 2014. It was quiet but it landed. The MEX-directed video only pushed it further, turning it into a proper party record. You’d hear it and just know this wasn’t a one-off. There was intention there.
Then four months later, Woju happened. And everything shifted.
At that moment, he stopped being “that new artist” and became a name people couldn’t ignore. Woju was everywhere. Street dance-offs, school end-of-year parties, clubs, random speakers on the road. It didn’t matter where you were, you were hearing it. It moved fast, but it didn’t feel rushed. It just clicked.
When the remix with Tiwa Savage and Davido was released the following year, it was clear. A name had entered Afrobeats, and from the way things were going, he clearly wasn’t about to let go of that space anytime soon.
NEW ERA
After the nationwide success of Woju, the innovative artist wasn’t done with us. Not even close. He wasn’t a one-hit wonder, and Laye was meant to prove that. Once again, on his birthday, May 1, 2015, Daniel dropped Laye. Another showstopper. Another record that stuck.
But Nigerians weren’t fully convinced. There were murmurs. People said it felt like Woju 2.0. The whispers started creeping in. Maybe he really is just a one-hit wonder?
But he still wasn’t done.
He followed up with Molue alongside his label mate Sugarboy, then Good Time, which later got a remix with Wizkid. The run was steady, but you could tell he was building toward something bigger. Something that would silence all the doubt.
And then he did.
With Mama, produced by Young Jonn, released on April 4, 2016, everything shifted again. The video, inspired by the car accident he survived earlier that year, added a layer of emotion that made the song hit even deeper. Mama was a proper love record, but it carried weight. And this time, the reception was different. It was warmer, more accepting. No comparisons. Just appreciation.
It was one of those “you had to be there” moments. A real point in time.
At this point, Nigerians were hungry. Not just for hits, but for him. More songs. More of that smooth, melodious, almost hypnotic voice that made you pause and ask. Who is this again?
And like a genie, he delivered.
New Era arrived. It was meant to drop on his birthday, but eventually came out on May 14, 2016. It was a 20-track run that didn’t hold back with the singles, Good Time, Laye, and Mama all sitting comfortably on it. It was a solid debut, but more than that, it felt like overdelivery. Songs like Duro, Sin City, and Jombo weren’t just hits. They became moments of their own.
He didn’t just meet expectations, he stretched them.
2016, in many ways, carried his imprint, and New Era was a big part of that. The album debuted at number eight on the Billboard World Albums chart and for many listeners, it felt like a breath of fresh air. Something new, but still familiar enough to hold onto.
Interestingly, the album featured just one other vocalist, Sugarboy, who appeared across three tracks: Napo, Ghetto Boys, and Upon Me. For the most part, though, it was just him, holding his own across twenty tracks. And right from the start, on New King, he sets the tone, almost announcing himself: “who the new king?” It wasn’t subtle. It was confident. An introduction that felt like a statement.
Of course, not everyone agreed on everything. Some critics felt the album could’ve been leaner, that a few tracks didn’t need to be there. But even with that, one thing was clear. Kiss Daniel wasn’t going anywhere.
He was here. And he was just getting started.
KIZZ DANIEL
Amidst the success of his debut, 2018 came with unexpected news from the artist. He was being sued by his label. In November 2017, he announced his departure from G-Worldwide and moved on to set up his own imprint, Flyboy Inc.
In 2018, the situation escalated into a legal dispute over his stage name. After leaving, G-Worldwide claimed rights to “Kiss Daniel,” leading to a court battle that he was eventually acquitted from. The resolution came with a rebrand. His name officially changed from “Kiss Daniel” to “Kizz Daniel,” a small shift in spelling, but a major shift in identity.
It wasn’t just cosmetic. The change was everywhere, and it marked a clear line between what came before and what was next. He wasn’t slowing down or stepping back, if anything, he was stepping fully into ownership of his sound, his brand, and his direction.
The move aligned with his transition into independence, as he began operating under his own imprint, Flyboy Inc.
Despite how messy the situation was at the time, it ended up reinforcing his staying power. Since then, he’s continued to evolve and deliver hits. The name changed, but the run didn’t.
He couldn’t be phased.
No Bad Songz released on November 30, 2018 under his own label, Flyboy Inc., marking his first full statement as an independent artist. The project houses 20 tracks and features appearances from Davido, Wizkid, Nasty C, Diamond Platnumz, Philkeyz, Demmie Vee, DJ Xclusive, Wretch 32, Diplo and Sarkodie.
The reception came in fast and loud with positive reviews from both fans and critics, It debuted at No. 55 on the US iTunes Chart and climbed to No.1 on the iTunes World Albums chart within 24 hours. It didn’t just announce a new era, it validated it.
This was his first major statement as an independent artist, and it sounded like one. The album carries a wide sonic range, with hip-hop influences running through collaborations like Nasty C’s Ghetto, where he reflects street realities over trap-influenced Afropop production by Philkeyz.
Wretch 32’s feature on Bad also leans into that cross-cultural blend, even experimenting with Afropop-style melodic phrasing, while Sarkodie adds his signature rap precision.
But at the core of it all, it’s still Kizz Daniel’s songwriting and Afropop instinct that holds everything together. The melodies are immediate, the hooks are sticky, and that consistency is what gives the project its standout quality.
Beyond the collaborations and global sound, the album still circles back to love, relationships, and trust. There’s an ongoing tension in his writing about love and money, attraction and intention, especially in records like Maye, where he reflects on being valued for success rather than sincerity, weaving it into lines that feel conversational but pointed.
“She Say She Come for the Doe/ Me Sef I Come Lati Do/ She No Like me But She Like The Doe”.
And then there are the standouts. The records that defined the era: Poko, Madu, and One Ticket with Davido. Each one carrying its own weight in shaping how the album was received and remembered.
It was bold, global, and still deeply rooted in his Afropop identity. An independent debut that didn’t ask for validation, but still got it.
Building on the momentum of No Bad Songz, Kizz Daniel didn’t slow down or lose direction. He simply shifted focus again, this time leaning deeper into emotion, storytelling, and a more refined sound.
On 15 March 2019, Kizz Daniel released Fvck You, produced and co-written by Young Jonn. Originally meant to build anticipation for his O2 Arena performance in London, the song took on a life of its own through a viral open-verse challenge, pulling in artists like Tiwa Savage, Simi, Falz, Sarkodie, and even Wyclef Jean. It became less of a single and more of a cultural moment online.
Then on 25 June 2020, two years after No Bad Songz, he returned with King of Love, his third studio album. This project leaned heavily into romantic and emotional themes, with production from multiple Nigerian producers shaping its soft, cohesive sound. Critics praised its songwriting and overall consistency, noting how tightly it held its mood from start to finish.
True to its title, King of Love moves through love, relationships, body positivity, and infidelity, with Kizz Daniel weaving each track around those ideas in a way that feels intentional rather than scattered. The title doesn’t just sit on the cover. It echoes through the entire project.
Still, there’s always that conversation in the background. Some listeners wondered if his decision to avoid heavy features again would recreate the same magic as New Era, where a similar approach worked in his favour. A few tracks even felt like they could’ve carried more weight with collaborations, but that’s part of his creative lane, owning the sound fully, even when opinions differ.
At the end of the day, for his third studio album and second under Flyboy Inc., Kizz Daniel delivered another solid body of work. And as always, he continued to stand firm in the reputation he’s built over time. The artist with no bad songs.
VADO
“Vado” or “Vado The Great” is a stage moniker that reflects Kizz Daniel’s artistic growth, consistency, and reputation as the artist behind the “no bad songs” tag. It represents more than just a nickname. It’s a stamp of confidence in his craft, often used to signal his ability to consistently deliver hits without losing quality.
Over time, “Vado The Great” has come to embody his evolution in the Afrobeats industry, positioning him not just as a hitmaker, but as a steady force whose sound and run have remained reliable across different eras of his career.
And this era was indeed a testament to that.
On 5 August 2021, Kizz Daniel came through with another single that quietly set the tone for a new run, Lie. Three months later, on 19 November, he followed up with Barnabas. His debut EP. A 7-track project with just two features: The Cavemen on Oshe and Kelvyn Colt on Skin. Songs like Pour Me Water, and Eh God (Barnabas) stood out immediately. It was a surprise drop, and critics described it as cohesive and reflective, with a slightly experimental edge that still stayed within his lane.
A year later, on 3 May 2022, he dropped Buga (lo lo lo) with Tekno and that one didn’t just land, it exploded. The challenges took over social media, TikTok dances everywhere, and it quickly became a full cultural moment. Then in October of the same year, he followed up with Cough (Odo), keeping that momentum alive.
On 6 January 2023, he released RTID (Rich Till I Die), setting the tone for another run. Six months later, on 27 July 2023, he dropped his fourth studio album Maverick. A 20-track project featuring records like Buga, Cough, RTID, and Shu-Peru, alongside appearances from Pryme, Tekno, Johnny Drille, Yemi Alade, Young Jonn, Blaqbonez, Chike, Not3s, Jahmiel, Nomcebo Zikode, DJ Big N, and even Becky G on the Cough remix.
This was a new phase for him, more global, more experimental, but still rooted in his strongest quality: consistency. Kizz Daniel has always been a hitmaker, and Maverick just reinforced that. Standout moments like My G, Anchovy, Buga, and Cough kept that identity intact.
Later that same year, he dropped Too Busy To Be Bae, then followed with Twe Twe, which eventually led into TZA (ThankZ Alot). A 4-track EP that leaned into energy, fun, and replay value without overcomplicating anything.
It is Kizz Daniel’s least romantic project thus far, and it leans towards a toxic brand of anti-love more than anything else.
His most recent project, Uncle K: Lemon Chase, released on 29 May 2025, feels like another shift. A 7-track prelude to his upcoming album Uncle K, it features artists like Angelique Kidjo, Runtown, and Zlatan amongst others. At just over 17 minutes, it plays more like a taste than a full statement but a deliberate one.
If anything, it shows him in a more reflective space. As he described it himself, it’s about life in all its contrast. Sweet, sour, confusing, beautiful. That idea runs through the project, from playful moments to more introspective ones.
In a time where Afrobeats keeps expanding globally, Kizz Daniel isn’t chasing the wave. He’s still shaping his own lane. And this era, more than anything, is a reminder of why his run has lasted this long: consistency without compromise.
In all of this, it’s remarkably clear. Kizz Daniel isn’t just another artist. He’s an iconic, innovative force, and his discography stands as proof of that. He understands his lane, his strengths, and how to consistently turn them into records that stick. He’s a once-in-a-lifetime kind of talent.
And for listeners, it’s less about watching a career unfold and more about being along for the ride. Through every shift, every evolution, every new phase he chooses to step into. Whatever comes next, it already feels like something worth experiencing with him.
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