Iniko is the latest R&B singer to become a viral sensation on social media. Their song “The King’s Affirmation” started as a teaser on TikTok and quickly caught fire. “The King’s Affirmation” has now garnered over 35 million views across all social platforms and over 3 million streams of its subsequent single release. An impressive feat under any circumstance, the success is doubly remarkable as the Brooklyn-born singer, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist was simply looking for a challenge.
Having drawn inspiration from Nicki Minaj’s “Do We Have a Problem” featuring Lil Baby, Iniko explains, “My goal was to approach that beat as if it was given to me. I knew I could not hold back as far as what I wanted to be felt when it was heard. I knew that whatever I wrote had to be extremely intentional to the reality I am currently creating for myself. These lyrics came to me through challenging myself in this way.”
While staying true to the drill-heavy beat, Iniko’s tone and cadence add a celestial essence and strength to the track. Viewers were immediately captivated by the snippet and demanded to hear more of the direct and declarative lyrics.
“I will be one of the greatest, that is a vow, yeah, that is a promise / Always wanted to be famous, just being real, yeah, just being honest / My haters gon’ always be nameless, give them no clout, I give them no power / Creators built different, they ancient, sooner than later, all will be ours,” Iniko boldly sings on the first verse.
As we commemorate Pride Month and marginalized communities continue to fight for equality, this timely offering is set to “serve as a mantra to listeners to be their true self and refute societal norms.” Iniko continues, “This song is a sonic embodiment of true access to the magic that I possess. This song came to be because I was experiencing a lot of ignorance from people who chose not to see me for all that I am and all that I am capable of. This song channeled that. This song is me talking to every single person who has ever told me that who I am is not who I should be. Being someone, whose very existence is a contradiction to many societal norms, it can become easy to feel like an outsider.”
With “The King’s Affirmation,” Iniko is firmly on everyone’s radar. Stream “The King’s Affirmation” below, add the song to your personal playlists from all digital music providers and follow Iniko on Twitter, Instagram and, of course, TikTok.