Kah-Lo debuts with Pain/Pleasure

Grammy-nominated Nigerian singer-songwriter, Faridah Seriki, known professionally as Kah-Lo, has released her long-anticipated debut album, Pain/Pleasure. It was produced by Epic Records.

Released on September 8, and available across streaming platforms, the album summons fans to share in the pain and pleasure that have characterised the singer’s career. It comes after the release of hit singles such as Runaway, GDWoman, Karma and Fund$.

According to her, the album is all about retribution, as she delves into the story of confronting and overcoming those who have offended her, notwithstanding the obstacles she faced in her quest for pleasure.

The album aims at forging a desirable identity for the songstress, as she touches on improving self-esteem and learning to be assertive, all themes that have taken the centre stage of her career and romantic life so far.

Clearly professing self-love and female empowerment, the album is fuelled by Kah-Lo’s unfettered lyricism and groovy, aesthetic production. It comprises 14 tracks, all of which have their respective concerns.

In tracks like, Unbothered, and the song track, Pain/Pleasure, Kah-Lo focuses on toxic relationships and in MyName and GDWoman, she looks at respect, while Pain/Pleasure strikes a balance between her sassy, often cutthroat attitude, with her sensitive, honest storytelling, as she pushes her feminist agenda through the use of jaw-dropping, thematic music video accompaniments in the track.

From telling her tale of greed and glory with her Fund$, to the choreographed dance patterns of Karma and edgy biker visuals of GDWoman, Kah-Lo’s daring and vivacious persona is evident in career-long influences, which include, Afrobeats, R&B, as well as house and dance-pop beats, are drafted into her latest album as she embarks on a journey as a solo artiste while showcasing her vocals and songwriting abilities.

As party-starting queen, Kah-Lo’s artistry offers more, as this debut body of work reveals the sensitive soul behind some of the crooner’s hits.

Her genre-bending approach projects and helps her occupy a frontal position as the representative of a new wave of African electronic artistes.

In summary the singer’s resilient and robust spirit, Pain/Pleasure comes off as an authentic body of work, revealing her many layers from a tough, seemingly carefree exterior to her weak, vulnerable interior. Kah-Lo in the project relates her career experiences, documenting both bitter and exciting moments.