Barnabas is the first EP by Nigerian singer Kizz Daniel. It was released on 19 November 2021, by Flyboy I.N.C and Empire Distribution. The EP featured guest appearances from The Cavemen and Kelvyn Colt. Production was handled by Philkeyz, Reward Beatz, Roc Legion, DJ Coublon, Blaisebeatz. Barnabas serves a follow-up to King of Love (2020).
Background The release of Barnabas was unannounced. The EP came to be, in his words, "I just picked seven random songs from my laptop, put them together and titled it Barnabas." Barnabas was well-received both critically and commercially. All seven tracks debuted on the TurnTable Top 50, with "Lie" spending seven consecutive weeks at number one and "Pour Me Water" also reaching the summit after gaining viral popularity.
Singles The album's only single "Lie" was released on 6 August 2021. The song was produced by Philkeyz and Blaisebeatz.
Critical reception
Motolani Alake of Pulse Nigeria rated Barnabas a 6.8/10, describing it as "cool, creative and cerebral" but "also abstract". He characterized the EP as a "diary session, with songs crafted around different entries" that achieved sonic cohesion. Fatiat Saliu, writing for Afrocritik praised Barnabas as a cohesive and reflective project, showcasing Kizz Daniel's growth in sound, storytelling, and message delivery, stating that "he reasserts his position as one of the best artistes in the country." She rated the EP 8.2/10. Dennis Ade Peter of The Native highlighted Kizz Daniel's consistency on Barnabas, praising his ability to stay within familiar musical boundaries while delivering solid results, noting that "Kizz Daniel knows the groove he prefers, and he remains as reliable as ever."
Track listing
Personnel Oluwatobiloba "Kizz Daniel" Anidugbe – vocals, writer Kelvyn "Colt" Ajala – vocals, writer Benjamin James – drums (track 4) Kingsley Okorie – bass (track 4) Marcel "Blaisebeatz" Akunwata – production Joseph "Roc Legion" Watchorn – production Akwuba "DJ Coublon" Ugochukwu – production Phillip "Philkeyz" Chukwuka – production John "Young Jonn" Udomboso – production Olawale "Reward Beatz" Isaac – production
Release history +Release history and formats for Barnabas Region Date Format Label Various 19 November 2021
References