King of a Land is the seventeenth studio album from British singer-songwriter Yusuf / Cat Stevens, released on 16 June 2023 by BMG Rights Management / Dark Horse Records. The recording featured children's music and religious music influences, and received positive reviews from critics.

Recording and release
Stevens worked on the album for over a decade before releasing the debut single "Take the World Apart" on 15 March 2023. The title track "King of a Land" followed as a single on 25 April. On the same day, he addressed King Charles III ahead of his coronation with a 10-point list entitled Manifesto for a Good King. The songs have a theme of peace, which Stevens considers a culminating theme of his career. There were followed by a music video for "All Nights, All Days", released on 17 May 2023, that references Stevens' work for the soundtrack to Harold and Maude.

Critical reception
King of a Land received positive reviews from critics noted at review aggregator Metacritic. It has a weighted average score of 82 out of 100, based on four reviews.

Writing for The Arts Desk, Thomas H Green rated this release three out of five stars, writing that the music "combines his apparently effortless immediacy at acoustic guitar songwriting with an orchestrated opulence that sometimes pushes the sound towards the realms of musical theatre" and praises "the utopian Sixties-ish positivity, the desire for better, and the crisp, bright-eyed songwriting", but cautions that listeners' response to the album will "likely be define[d] [by how] they feel about his repeated and passionate belief in God, which permeates everything". In The Daily Telegraph, James Hill gave King of a Land 4 out of 5 stars, stating that it "is unlikely to bring in legions of new fans" and criticizing the "moonothematic" lyrics, but praising it for being "a lushly beautiful album from one of pop's master songwriters". At musicOMH, John Murphy rated this release 3 out of 5 stars, writing that "the full band efforts that stand out most" and "while it's sometimes a bit too unassuming for its own good, King Of A Land does well to remind the world of just what a legendary songwriter Yusuf/Cat Stevens is". The Timess Will Hodgkinson rated this album 3 out of 5 stars, writing that the album is fundamentally good, but it is missing the "unfulfilled quality that elevated golden age Cat Stevens from standard singer-songwriter fare and into the realm of artistic profundity". In an 8/10 review, Uncut opined that King of a Land presents "lyrically teasing exercises in self examination... Yusuf breaks ground". In Under the Radar, Frank Valish scored this album a 7.5 out of 10, praising Stevens' voice and the "exquisite" packaging of the album.

In Hot Press, Jackie Hayden gave this release 9 out of 10, calling it "a welcome return to form" that showcase Stevens' "honeyed as ever" voice. Writing for The Line of Best Fit, Tanatat Khuttapan gave this release a 7 out of 10, ending his review, "heartfelt stories such as these  – not tell; King of a Land does so in the last leg, but there's always a nagging wonder of what the record would've been had it done so  its entirety". Henry Carrigan of No Depression summed up his review, "[King of a Land] contains no surprises, and fans of Yusuf/Cat Stevens will welcome an album that sounds like what they've come to expect. At its worst, its overproduced; at its best, the album is redundant". Writing for Ultimate Classic Rock, Michael Gallucci states that "it's the more adult songs on King of a Land that work best".

Track listing
"Train on a Hill" – 3:09
"King of a Land" – 4:14
"Pagan Run" – 4:33
"He Is True" – 1:40
"All Nights, All Days" – 2:22
"Another Night in the Rain" – 3:53
"Things" – 3:05
"Son of Mary" – 4:39
"Highness" – 3:56
"The Boy Who Knew How to Climb Walls" – 4:26
"How Good It Feels" – 4:35
"Take the World Apart" – 2:44

Personnel

"Train on a Hill"
Yusuf/Cat Stevens – guitars, synthesizer, keyboards, vocals, production
Eric Appapoulay – nylon guitar, 12-string guitar
Jon Ashton-Thomas – brass arrangement
David Hefti – engineering, mixing
Jel Jongen – trombone
Russ Kunkel – drums, percussion
Bruce Lynch – acoustic bass, keyboards
Carlo Mertens – trombone
Serge Plume – trumpet
Paul Samwell-Smith – production
"King of a Land"
Yusuf/Cat Stevens – nylon guitar, synthesizer, keyboards, chorus, vocals, production
Angel Kids – chorus
Ariana
Safiye Dizdar
Liyana
Nalini Patel
Varun Patel
Kimi Scholz
Yasmina (Hassain) Mikaela Scholz
Muammad Sulaiman
Sian Sweeney
Carl Sweeney
Eric Appapoulay – slide guitar
David Hefti – engineering, mixing
Russ Kunkel – drums, percussion, cajón
Bruce Lynch – Fender bass
Paul Samwell-Smith – production
Peter Vettese – keyboards, pizz. strings, tuba, flute
"Pagan Run"
Yusuf/Cat Stevens – guitars, synth pads, hand claps, vocals, production
Eric Appapoulay – acoustic guitar, electric guitar
Jon Ashton-Thomas – brass arrangement
David Hefti – engineering
Paul Hicks – mixing
Michelle John – backing vocals
Jel Jongen – trombone
Russ Kunkel – drums, hand claps
Bruce Lynch – acoustic bass
Carlo Mertens – trombone
Serge Plume – trumpet
Paul Samwell-Smith – production
Beverley Skeete – backing vocals
Daniel Thomas – backing vocals
Peter Vettese – Hammond organ, keyboards
"He Is True"
Yusuf/Cat Stevens – nylon guitar, harmonium, keyboards, backing vocals, vocals, production
Eric Appapoulay – nylon guitar
David Hefti – engineering, mixing
Russ Kunkel – drums, hand claps
Bruce Lynch – Fender bass
Hanna Roos – soprano voice
Paul Samwell-Smith – choral, production
Peter Vettese – Mellotron
Kwame Yeboah – choral
"All Nights, All Days"
Yusuf/Cat Stevens – guitars, vocals, production
Jo Ambros – pedal steel guitar, electric guitar
Eric Appapoulay – electric guitar, 12-string guitar
Marlon Browden – drums
Stefan Fuhr – bass
David Hefti – engineering
Paul Hicks – mixing
Russ Kunkel – tambourine
Paul Samwell-Smith – production
Peter Vettese – piano
"Another Night in the Rain"
Yusuf/Cat Stevens – guitars, vocals, recording, production
Jo Ambros – electric guitars
Marlon Browden – drums
Stefan Fuhr – bass
David Hefti – engineering, mixing
Frank Schellenberger – keyboards
Kwame Yeboah – synthesizers
"Things"
Yusuf/Cat Stevens – acoustic guitar, synth organ, brass, vocals, production
Martin Allcock – Fender jazz fretless bass
Eric Appapoulay – electric guitar, 12-string guitar
Alun Davies – claps
David Hefti – engineering
Paul Hicks – mixing
Russ Kunkel – claps
Paul Samwell-Smith – production
Peter Vettese – keyboards
Kwame Yeboah – drums, shakers
"Son of Mary"
Yusuf/Cat Stevens – guitars, synthesizer, keyboards, vocals, production
David Hefti – engineering, mixing
Russ Kunkel – bass drum
Bruce Lynch – acoustic bass
Paul Samwell-Smith – production
Peter Vettese – additional keyboards
"Highness"
Yusuf/Cat Stevens – nylon guitar, vocals, recording, production
Jo Ambross – electric guitars
Eric Appapoulay – electric guitar, 12-string guitar
Martin Browden – drums
Stefan Fuhr – bass
David Hefti – engineering
Paul Hicks – mixing
Nick Ingman – orchestra arrangement
Michelle John – backing vocals
Pete Murray – additional piano
Steve Pearce – additional bass
Frank Ricotti – tympani, percussion
Beverley Skeete – backing vocals
Daniel Thomas – backing vocals
"The Boy Who Knew How to Climb Walls"
Yusuf/Cat Stevens – guitars, synthesizer, bass, backing vocals, vocals, recording, production
Eric Appapoulay – electric slide guitar, backing vocals
Kwame Yeboah – drums, backing vocals
Paul Hicks – mixing
"How Good It Feels"
Yusuf/Cat Stevens – nylon guitar, acoustic guitar, synthesizer, vocals, production
Eric Appapoulay – nylon guitar
David Hefti – engineering, mixing
Nick Ingman – orchestra arrangement
Russ Kunkel – drums, cymbals
Bruce Lynch – Fender bass
Hanna Roos – soprano voice
Peter Vettese – keyboards
"Take the World Apart"
Yusuf/Cat Stevens – guitars, keyboards, claps, chorus, vocals, recording, production
Bruce Lynch – Fender bass
Paul Hicks – mixing

Additional personnel
Peter H. Reynolds – illustrations
Nick Wallage – engineering on orchestral recordings
Yoriyos – art concept, design
Yusuf/Cat Stevens – art concept, design

Chart performance

References

External links

Press release from BMG

Review from Riff Magazine

2023 albums
Albums produced by Paul Samwell-Smith
BMG Rights Management albums
Cat Stevens albums
Children's music albums by English artists
Dark Horse Records albums
Religious music albums by English artists