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Through his choice of simplistic writing, familiar melodies, and lean production, both tracks, like the many in his discography, connected with listeners who love easily enjoyable music.
Kizz Daniel is one artist whose evidence of his success has allowed him to ignore the criticism of the depthless nature of his music. And it's this disregard that shapes his latest fifth album ‘Maverick’.
While his last project ‘Barnabas’ is a stupendous Afropop concept that delivered memorable tracks that crystallized his hitmaker status, his follow-up project painfully rides on the unvaried stylism that has informed his recent success.
If Kizz Daniel intended to present himself as an artist who doesn't kowtow to social (industry/listeners) standards or expectations, he might have achieved this while simultaneously delivering an utterly disappointing album.
'Maverick' offers absolutely no artistic depth, variety, or excitement. The album flatlines all through its 53 mins run time and not even the brilliant opener 'Red or Green' or the previous hits in 'Buga' and 'Cough' offered upsides.
Kizz Daniel is a vastly talented artist whose ability to tap into another aspect of his creativity has enhanced consumers' connection to his art. His funny side slips into his music and enhances relativity through simple writing, rhythmic melody, and unvaried production. And it's this one-dimensional approach that underlines 'Maverick' thus subjecting listeners to a monotonous experience.
Kizz Daniel's superpower is his ability to share his thoughts through one-liners that can propel a song to hit status. However, he seems reluctant to find new ways of expressing these thoughts. He retains the same melodies and delivery while adopting very conservative production that doesn't elevate the records.
And even when the featured artists try to inject some excitement into the project like Pryma and Johny Drille in 'Show You Off' and 'Feran Mi', their attempts are limited by Kizz Daniel's monotony.
Perhaps if taken on their merit some of the singles stand a chance of connecting with listeners, but even this might be a stretch given his 2023 releases were met with cold shoulders by listeners that are exhausted by the painful predictability.
When he combines log drum and Dancehall bounce on 'E'better' the familiar elements makes it just another version of many other Kizz Daniel songs. Even when afforded the chance to switch things up with the better production on 'One Dollar' he still leans into his comfort zone.
The lack of creativity on the project is further captured by the incomplete nature of 'Pour' where a rap verse from Falz or ODUMODUBLVCK could have heightened the experience. And when he chooses to partner with other artists, the collaborations don't elevate the experience.
Chike and Kizz Daniel fail to inspire the best from each other in 'Easy To Love' and the intercontinental lineup on 'Complicated' pales in comparison to the output with the production underwhelming and the performance forgettable. It's scandalous that Nomcebo Zikode a Grammy winner and the voice behind global smash hit 'Jerusalema', sensational Dancehall maestro Jahmiel, and exciting UK act Not3s came together, and the result is a sleepy composition where horns seem to be an afterthought.
'Side Chick' won't be getting a second listen from most listeners as there's nothing on the record to return to and the attempt to make a play at the international market through Becky G's appearance on 'Cough' remix is lazy and negligible.
Now, while this criticism is scathing, the fault falls on the feet of Kizz Daniel who seems incapable of switching it up and this shortcoming affects the entire direction of the project.
Kizz Daniel is a special talent who understands how to create easily digestible music. However, 'Maverick' suffers from his failure to reinvent the wheel, especially when the handwriting on the wall suggests it's time for such reinvention.
When he attempts to do something different in 'Red & Green' and 'Feran You Two' through the support of an orchestra and a moving vocal performance he delivers a positive moment. The same can be said for 'One Dollar', and 'Pour' where he adopts slightly different productions.
In a 10-track album, the unvaried stylism that plagues 'Maverick' could have been bearable but across 20-tracks, it's just a tortuous listen that does absolutely no justice to the ability of an artist who has delivered memorable projects.
Ratings: /10
• 0-1.9: Flop
• 2.0-3.9: Near fall
• 4.0-5.9: Average
• 6.0-7.9: Victory
• 8.0-10: Champion
Pulse Rating: /10
Album Sequencing: 1.2/2
Songwriting, Themes, and Delivery: 0.5/2
Production: 1.3/2
Enjoyability and Satisfaction: 1/2
Execution: 1.5/2
Total: 5.5 - Average