Buga: Kizz Daniel triggers global fever

27 Jun 2022 - 17:07

Published under the Creative Commons Licence

He may not form part of Afrobeats’ holy trinity, but ‘Buga’ man Kizz Daniel is very much a linchpin whose steady supply of hits has seen him take up residence everywhere the genre is spun.

Kizz Daniel.

Which trio constitutes Afrobeats royalty? The very ones who have just popped into your head. Kizz Daniel and Tekno, the track’s other star, seem to recognise this – hence they have labelled their style different names. Kizz Daniel defines his sound as ‘Afroclassic’, while Tekno would rather be the ‘King of Afropop’. Of course, I couldn’t tell you how their sounds differ from Afrobeats, but the gesture seems to point to the theory that there is more than one route to pop success.

As early as his debut LP New Era (2016), long before he replaced the Ss in his stage name with Zs, the singer sounded both charming and self-assured beyond his years, summoning vets like 2Baba and 9ice. If anyone dismissed his claim to pop’s first rank then (and his ability to submit No Bad Songz, as he christened his sophomore LP), the final leg of his coronation is currently unfolding before our very eyes.

Hours into the song’s arrival, and barely a month after its release, ‘Buga’ has become Afrobeats’ leading song – and for good reason. Inherent in the track is a unique aural draw licensed by elegant plainness both in its composition and messaging.

Crafted around merry drums and churchy chords, ‘Buga’ is thematically anchored on the following line from either of the song’s verses: “You don work, you don try-try / You suppose to dey j’aiye, j’aiye.” (Translation: It is good to work, but so is letting one’s hair down from time to time.)

The track also continues to benefit from a sweeping buzz stimulated by TikTok, for instance. For some, while it is a valuable springboard for breaking new music, TikTok could hamper a song’s lifespan, considering that each new day births a song/dance challenge. This may be true for some songs, but not ‘Buga’, which is unlikely to lose steam, at least for a few more months.

Like all pop from these parts, ‘Buga’ is structured in verse-chorus form. Because its verses are composed of the same lyrics, and due to how plainly they are arranged, the entire song, repeated a few times, begins to sound like a single extended chorus – much in the singalong fashion that national anthems are hewn.

The ambitious carnival-themed video for ‘Buga’ is defined by dazzling camerawork and an explosion of colour, choreography, culture and community – mirroring the feel-good cheer the song sermonises. If the song exists as an African chant, its attending visuals, helmed by in-demand director TG Omori, and drawing over 2 million YouTube views within 24 hours of its release, have expanded ‘Buga’s scope by rallying global delight.

And so, what is the Kizz Daniel algorithm for a good song? This is a closely guarded trade secret for the artist, but there’s something to be said about a singular groove and melody, immense charisma and songwriting that succeeds in cajoling listeners – in plain words or otherwise – to do something: love, reflect or, in the case of ‘Buga’, “Go low-low-low, go low-low-low, buga wọn”.