Since he emerged with 2016 breakaway hit, “Eleko,” Mayorkun has been at the cutting edge of Afropop. His inimitable style blends vibrant wordplay and songwriting with a knack for seeking out far-flung diasporic sounds to complement his breezy flow. 2018’s The Mayor of Lagos announced the arrival of a genuine superstar in the making with features from a roll call of Afropop giants, while 2021’s Back in Office was an assured return to top form from the singer who examined success, social mobility, and gratitude over instrumentals that leaned on amapiano, soul, and bongo flava. The two years since Back in Office have seen Mayorkun continue to display an intuitive knowledge of the Afropop terrain, explored through songs like 2022’s “Certified Loner (No Competition)” and “Alarm”—plus scene-stealing features on the Camidoh and Darkoo collab “Sugarcane (Remix),” and the Teni and Costa Titch linkup, “MAITAMA.” On his new EP, Love.. For Free, the singer peels away at the layers of a romance gone sour to invite his audience into his healing process. Across five songs, Mayorkun (real name Adewale Mayowa Emmanuel) sways from the melancholy of heartbreak to the wanderlust of opening up to new experiences. On “For Daddy,” the singer pines after a love interest he imagines a future with over a skittering instrumental, while “Lose Control” sees him partner with South African rapper Blxckie to express his dismay at the love interest’s continuing elusiveness. The singer moves on to acceptance on “My Energy,” where he’s singing about not owing anyone his love. Things come to a head on the larrylanes-produced “Lowkey!” where he recounts lessons learned from old romances and starts to fashion a vision of the future.