here comes the AFRICAN GIANT / Burna Boy (2019)

This album deserves its own thread, plus I'm genuinely curious what will win here--I have no idea what I'll be voting for.

too hard. AotY

otm x2

"on the low" is still my favourite

impossible, but my gut is leaning towards the obvious here (anybody)

Probably not voting for it but I was surprised no one mentioned Destiny in the other thread

gotta go with 'anybody'

Anybody is pretty undeniable. A few months ago Secret would have been my immediate choice. Tempted by Dangote and after the npr tiny desk thing I have Wetin Man Go Do stuck in my head bad

anybody is my real answer but i’m voting for gum body

this whole album is fantastic, but anybody is the best song of the year.

next five after nobody something like this

gum body
killen dem
dangote
pull up
secret

title track is dope too

Jorja Smith f. Burna “Be Honest” has really grown on me too

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8q93PQz04SM

every time one of these tracks comes up on my playlist it's the best track, "Gum Body" takes some beating but then yeah the title track

on the low is one of my favs still

The real answer is Gbona but it came out so much time before the album that it feels previously released (that's the digital age for you), so as a 2019 release I would still say the one with which I discovered the album, namely Killin Dem, because it begins so raw and grows so hypnotic. But I don't disagree with my fellow voters, there are many highlights in these 19 tracks.

I voted for Anybody, but this is easily my album of the year.

between this and kehlani's for me

voted for Dangote as it sounds like Anybody is sure to win and I love getting the Dangote lyrics (or my fucked up mental approximation of them) in my head

I learnt at work yesterday that Dangote is a Nigerian company that sold everything from groceries and clothing to now moving to cement and oil production in the Delta, and that mister Dangote is now the richest man in Africa.

Their commercials are all over CNN!

dangote is my favourite too

Voting deadline fast approaching and I still haven’t made up my mind.

I was lucky enough to see Burna live in Amsterdam in October (in the biggest venue for an Afropop act so far) and can confirm: literally all of these tracks are anthems. The crowd lapped it up, and he was all smiles all the time. Nothing Tiny Desk about it at all!

So I’m more or less following Nabozo’s reasoning: “Gbona” and “On The Low” (no matter how gigantic they are still) are out, they were 2018 EOY material. So another one of the 9 (!) tracks that have had the video treatment so far? “Anybody”, “Gum Body”, and yes!!!! “Killin Dem” (again, yes!!!) are all worthy. And then there’s “Spiritual”, still my favourite of the deep cuts.

Still some time left...

(and yes, AOTY, no question)

voted Anybody but so many of these tracks are better than a lot of other stuff i was into this year.

Spiritual is awesome. I might have already said this on the other thread, but I love how Outside ends with that line about his mother worrying about him ending up like Vybz Kartel, and then this one ends with a clip of her accepting a BET award for him

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

was just getting into this and he drops a history lesson :D

wasn't sure about the first few tracks but there's a shift in mood to something more melancholy and rounded about 1/3 of the way in ('gum body' might be that moment), and i really dig the more guitar-led stuff

it is a little funny to have learned about Unilever's colonial history from this album

it sort of feels like he had to frontload a few more conventional bangers before getting into the deeper message of what he wanted to say - is this a fair criticism? maybe it's just taken a few tracks for me to get in the mood lol

I'd be a little surprised if that impression continued for multiple listens, if for no other reason than Anybody seems close to the consensus favorite around here. Also, Wetin Man Go Do has that same vibe if I'm understanding your take. For me this album is 100% killer with one exception: "This Side" and only because of YG).

Agreed on the guitar though--I've been idly thinking about starting a thread for guitar in contemporary non-rock production. I feel like a surprisingly large number of my favorite tracks this year have guitar in them. Part of it is the highlife/afrobeat legacy resurfacing in Nigerian and Nigerian-influenced stuff, but it's still remarkable imo

yeah start that thread! there's some really lovely work here.

oh look here's future, guess the spell's broken ;)

based on almost the whole album, will vote for one of the tracks in that run from 'gum body', or 'different'

Yes to the highlife-y guitar, it's integrated so beautifully, production-wise. Always makes me happy cos I love that sound.

yeah i'm voting 'secret', that song is magical

but 'different' was a close second

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

<3 whoever voted for Blak Ryno

Those are not the results I saw in my dream last night! There every song had received at least one vote, though I can’t tell you who came out on top. Voted for “Killin Dem” in the end myself.

Now treat yourselves to the Wizkid EP perhaps? It has Kel-P, and guitars!

More Burna, more Kel-P, plus de... Dadju:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwEyHYGIO80
“Donne moi l’accord”

I wasn’t aware of this afrobeat track, from Queen & Slim: The Soundtrack that came out last month:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGcQOyNqmyQ
Burna Boy • My Money, My Baby

But in somewhat bigger news: a brand new single for Christmas with a distinctly different sound:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RCFHekqPaI
Burna Boy • Money Play

dig all three of these.

Video #10 is for “Secret”:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZcmBH7PnSM

Dedicating it to longneck.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGL1JoC2IaQ
👌🏼

^^^ oh hey i coengine33red this song! recorded b3urna's ho3ok a cpl months ago. happy to see it released so soon

This song is apparently a month old but I only heard it today. It's an absolute banger.

Nappy & Burna Boy - Aye
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCXjRUasA48

that's awesome, esby, good work!

xp

love the nappy track. such a bop - burna can do no wrong rn

Hardly any discussion here about the “Money Play” single Burna dropped last Xmas. It has definitely grown on me, but it still feels like a bit of a hiccup in his imperial phase.

Anyway, I made a pseudo-pan-African-pop/not-pop playlist for the rolling afro 2020 thread and all Afro-adjacent threads, generously defined. It’s already 108 tracks deep, so enjoy!

ILM rolling✳️all-inclusive✳️afro 2020

Follow-up question to two posts above: and what about this brand new one? Back with Kel-P, but look ma, no horns!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onQmiURQCyU
Burna Boy • Odogwu

not really feeling this one too much, it's a bit too low-key and repetitive

It’s definitely looking like he wants to make a clean break with that trademark Kel-P sound. Maybe he feels it’s time for something new now that Wizkid has adopted it for his SoundMan project?

Check the Rolling Afro thread for more Kel-P vibes!

money play is great odugwu is filler

I think I agree. Money Play sounds awesome in the mix. Odugwu sounds alright, but might grow on me.

I really love the bass and drums on Odogwu, though I can see wanting it to be a more dramatic

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4R4Ps2NHLDw

^^2Baba ft. Burna Boy • We Must Groove

(from the new 2Baba album)

<3

BURNA BOY ON A HOT PINK DOCK IN NIGERIA WEARING YOHJI WOW pic.twitter.com/wGompEWUHQ

— rachel seville tashjian (@theprophetpizza) March 4, 2020

Video for "Odogwu":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUliAM1ByDk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYBWrQumfVg

first single from new album Twice As Tall out 'this summer' !!!

“Wonderful” is no lie. I love love this new sound. His voice sounds great, the beat and the production are fantastic, the guitar flourishes are ace. I wasn’t aware of producer Telz, but I see he also did a track on prettyboydo’s excellent new EP.

With hindsight, Burna has guided us into this new era expertly with those two palate cleansing singles in December and February. He could have easily stuck with that modern-classic Kel-P sound, but I approve of this development.

Great song and super exciting news!

Yeah I'll be curious--maybe a little surprised--to see if Odogwu and Money Play aren't included on this. It would definitely be impressive to have three really distinct albums out in just a few years

video for “Wonderful”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k33o1IgtUEM

You’re all invited to participate in this poll:

🇳🇬 NAIJA SPECIAL: which of these *seven* current high-profile Nigerian hit songs is the best one? please help me decide

#TWICEASTALL 14/08 🦍 pic.twitter.com/YOMdN1s2xL

— Burna Boy (@burnaboy) August 5, 2020

Yesssss

im ready

twice as tall tracklist was revealed:
Level Up (Twice as Tall) [ft. Youssou N’Dour]
Alarm Clock
Way Too Big
Bebo
Wonderful
Onyeka (Baby)
Naughty By Nature [ft. Naughty By Nature]
Comma
No Fit Vex
23
Time Flies [ft. Sauti Sol]
Monsters You Made [ft. Chris Martin]
Wetin Dey Sup
Real Life [ft. Stormzy]
Bank on It

looking forward to the sauti sol collab but not at all excited to hear chris martin's appearance

jae5 has also contributed to the production!

the YG and future songs from the lsat album ended up being pretty dope considering so i'm willing to give him some rope... "monsters you made" not rly a promising title tho lol

jae5 has also contributed to the production!

*heart eyes*

Monsters You Made (ft. Chris Martin)

great, a hook about Goop

It shoulda been Christopher Martin smh.

I'm kind of surprised neither Money Play nor Odogwu are on this. I wonder if the Naughty by Nature one will be like the Blak Ryno one on AG.

Other producers: LeriQ, Telz, P2J, Rexxie, Mike Dean, Timbaland, Skread, DJDS

as for the Chris Martin collab: you are all aware Burna’s on Sam Smith’s current single, right?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byO74UGa8bI

#mainstreamingburna

I meant to ask if anyone has heard that yet...I have not

good to see he’s working with LeriQ again, the guy who produced his early stuff.

and Timbaland - seems like a trophy collaborator, like Youssou N’Dour perhaps, but who knows...

xp

I quite liked it but ymmv

tbh I can't even remember what Smith sounds like so I'm not sure why I'm avoiding it

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/05/arts/music/burna-boy-twice-as-tall.html

Interview / feature

solid piece. more production details:

For “Twice as Tall,” Burna Boy enlisted an American executive producer: Sean Combs, a.k.a. Diddy, who has long guided rappers and singers (most famously the Notorious B.I.G. and Mary J. Blige) toward wider audiences.

Combs also makes his presence audible with voice-over intros on some songs, briefly upstaging Burna Boy.

I like this description of Burna’s artistry or whatever the word is (although I must admit I can’t attest to the pentatonic African modes):

For the most part, Burna Boy hasn’t diluted his African heritage to reach his global audience. Instead, he has placed an unmistakably African stamp on music drawn from all around Africa and from across the African diaspora. He has a calm, husky, resolute voice that exemplifies the West African cultural virtue of coolness: poise and control transcending any commotion. His melodic sense is rooted in pentatonic African modes but unconstrained by them, and he has a stable of producers who deliver some of the most innovative rhythm tracks in 21st-century pop — usually working alongside Burna Boy in his studio, he said. He sings, most often, in a pidgin of English and Yoruba, confident that his meaning will get through even if listeners don’t recognize all the words.

Burna Boy is a leader amid a bounty of new African pop that has been increasingly welcomed in the West: a confluence of widespread availability via streaming, discovery via word-of-internet rather than former gatekeepers, and the sheer inventiveness taking place outside established music-business strongholds.

can confirm the album is on my streaming service of choice

so far "way too big" rules so much

unsurprisingly chris martin is an extremely unwelcome presence here

diddy only shows up to interject once thankfully

Naughty By Nature (ft. Naughty By Nature)

Chris Martin is a bullet I'm not looking forward to biting, guess I'll tell myself it could be worse, could've been Allbran or somebody

Sheeran's going to be furious.

listening again and there is a second diddy interjection that i completely missed the first time through

honestly sheeran is a far less obnoxious vocal presence than martin, if some british white guy had to show up he'd be far from my first choice but the result would probably have been more tolerable

I told Burna I did a song with Coldplay
Next thing I know he got a song with Coldplay

Very good album. I can't imagine I'll end up liking it as much as African Giant, but that's not a knock, AG is genius.

I was nervous about the guests...rightly so. Martin does suck, but tbrr I don't know if that song would be much better with [yr fav] on it--though thanks to dog latin, I did briefly wonder if Chronixx could have made it work--it has my least favorite Burna vocals too. I have never liked Sauti Sol very much, so those two back to back are a serious lull for me, curious if Sol fans like that one more. It's not ruinous, but the absolute wrong Stormzy shows up, all slow and moody, a missed opportunity though I quite like the women singing backup on that (see also Bank On It; swapping out all the guests for women would be an interesting exercise). Still, there's a happy surprise: Naughty by Nature sound kinda leftfield great, and as ufo mentioned Diddy's presence is not too distracting.

Anyway, even if you outright delete all the guest tracks (though no need to cut N'Dour), you end up with a strong collection, at least on par with Outside, maybe a little better once I listen more.

yeah i'm not sure this feels like an endless parade of hits in the way that african giant did but it's still very good. i like the sauti sol track a lot, i've only heard a few of their tracks before but they've always been enjoyable. "naughty by nature" works despite its weird concept and i completely agree about stormzy being a wasted opportunity. even ignoring martin i think "monsters you made" is the worst track on this

i looove that synth outro in "way too big"

even ignoring martin i think "monsters you made" is the worst track on this

otm, I almost wish he'd leaned all the way into the "message song" vibe and gotten Bono

Is Monsters You Made a deliberate Dirty Diana lift or just a coincidence?

it's deliberate, mj is a credited writer on it

all the select tracks i've tried so far are quite good. looking forward to digging in deeper.

Album is pleasant and competent, it maintains nice vibes, but it is seriously lacking innovation, energy and hits, and good feats as it has been said. He's not in front of these songs as he was in Outside / African Giant. 23 is one of the few standouts along with Wonderful, Onyeka and the too-short Alarm Clock (one could dream of a free-jazzy / funky Burna Boy album). I hate that generic trumpeting party sound in Way Too Big, it ruins the song. I don't think I'll spin this a lot.

https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/gq-hype/article/burna-boy-interview-2020

weird sequencing here leads to a smattering of garbage tracks throughout imo but there's a lot to enjoy. African Giant never quite clicked for me; this may make me go back to it.

I think I've landed on an 8-song version of this that I like quite a lot if not as much as African Giant (the other 7 range from not-bad-but-unremarkable to terrible):

Bebo
Wonderful
Onyeka (Baby)
Comma
No Fit Vex*
23
Wetin Dey Sup
Bank On It

* Spotlight on this, which is really good and doesn't sound much like past BB. I could dig a groovier, sunnier, wavier set that sounded like this and Wonderful.

So basically cut everything with a feature (sometimes Naughty By Nature sounds like goofy fun to me and sometimes like an awkward misfire), plus I find that opening run kind of ponderous. If you add Money Play and Odogwu, you'd have a strong back-to-back album imo.

(one could dream of a free-jazzy / funky Burna Boy album)

I would also be here for this (pretty improbable) imaginary album. I rewatched his Tiny Desk last night, and it would be cool to hear him collaborate with a band.

i've decided twice as tall suffers from a lack of kel-p vibes

i like twice as tall a lot an am not clear why people dislike it!

it lacks edge
not bad though

it's still good, i just prefer the sonic palette of african giant a bit more (and the guest stars on that album blend in a lot better)

I def wouldn't say I dislike it. In fact, "weird sequencing here leads to a smattering of garbage tracks throughout imo but there's a lot to enjoy" is really close to how I would put it!

African Giant is a personal fave and part of why is that right off the bat I loved it and couldn't stop playing it, so this inevitably feels a little disappointing

"Naughty by Nature" rules, improbably

my fav guest spot on the album by a long shot

smattering of garbage tracks

the pat boone (?!?!?!?!) sample combined with timbo/djds production and a solid vocal turn from n'dour make 'level up' the most unlikely song i love this year

Yeah might be letting my “the guests are unwelcome” thesis overdetermine my ears on that one

Just played this from the start and enjoyed all three opening tracks and NBN...probably just need to let the whole thing marinate a little

new track in response to the Lekkimassacre:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68rvZWARzew
Burna Boy • 20 10 20

...the Lekki massacre...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUtZB0foy_4

that’s “No Be Water” by Burna with Praiz and Vector.

it’s actually a 2015 release in the so-called Hennessy Artistry series (Hennessy Nigeria paying artists to come up with a booze-friendly anthem basically). the year before they had paired up Wizkid and 2Baba for “Dance Go (Eau de Vie)”.

burna winning the grammy for "Best Global Music" over anoushka shankar and bebel gilberto is a strange sort of victory

calls for a new thread! here comes the AFRICAN GRAMMY / Burna Boy (2021)

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/mar/11/the-grammys-have-a-major-problem-with-global-diversity-lip-service-isnt-going-to-solve-it

burna frankly should have been in the best rock album imo

The Grammys are so bad and hated even Drake knows what's up: "I think we should stop allowing ourselves to be shocked every year by the disconnect between impactful music and these awards. And just accept that what once was the highest form of recognition may no longer matter to the artists that exist now and the ones that come after."

At least we'll be spared more cringey lyrics from BB about losing now

At least we'll be spared more cringey lyrics from BB about losing now

I did specify "losing"

the brand-new single is highly enjoyably brash:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h81_XRvVxQc

(no Grammys were mentioned during the making of this track*)

produced by Chopstix

*thought he might be mentioning 'piano' tho, but no: no dey sweet, I be Alomo Bitters

yooo that bangs

nice one!

there's a video now:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKv5CBr-kKo

this is such a great style for him, really thrilled by this

yah i think i like this more than anything off his last album.

video pays homage to some classic busta rhymes videos.

yah i think i like this more than anything off his last album.

I hadn't quite had that thought yet, but I think you're otm

I also just noticed this only 2:16, which is why I'm like "wha?" every time it ends

i liked twice as tall on the whole but yah this is in a different zone

funny tho my fav song off that album was also about ~2:15
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ny4curtenuk

ftr “KIlometre” is an extra 17 secs on streaming

this is so so def. hope the next album will be called Grammy Off My Chest and will sound accordingly, like “Kilometre” does

extremely pleased to wake up with this in my head. I've never felt so good about the metric system

...and British spelling!

"Question" with Don Jazzy is really nice. Not a banger like Kilometre, but some sly production moves:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rOer3k2DWg

had been feeling like he was spinning his wheels a bit but this is wonderful

yeah I'm liking it even more on second listen (though dammit I forgot about the annoying explosion in the middle of the video)

so good - https://open.spotify.com/album/6aWJgsbvVPQR2HgPztf4qe?si=IcKdQ1mXTC-7_3h4-9boRA

Fun, my wife is a fan of that Toni Braxton song. Really sounds like a hip hop production. Not a hit or anything, not his most inspired, but it's ok.

This is great! I'm hearing way more of the big backing chorus thing we've been getting this year in naija* than hip hop. It's probably too much of a groove to be a "hit" I suppose, though I couldn't care less about his chart success tbh if that's what you meant. For me it's all about how much I like luxuriating in his weapons-grade charisma at this point, real "he could read the phone book" level of just loving his voice & presence. That's not to undersell this: Chopstix's production is excellent with an attention to detail that reminds me of London's work on the Rema

* and in fact that is Asake on backing vocals I just saw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=421w1j87fEM

Burna Boy Last Last official video out too.

this is great

19 song album out july 1

Taking back part of what I said, I've warmed up to Last Last, I like the chilled inertia, urgency, focus

new one is out now!

Sounds really strong so far.

i'm very late to the party; saw him at Glstonbury and damn, he was great!

watched his show this past weekend, seconding that he was great

luxuriating in his weapons-grade charisma

^
yes, that's correct

this seems a fair bit better than the last one

Looking forward to listening to this in the afternoon. That's a lot of features !

This sounded great on first listen! will need a while to unpack but compared to TaT it's a triumph of consistency if nothing else

on hearing the first half this morning: very solid, if generally unspectacular sort-of-return to African Giant (hi there Kel-P!)

on hearing the second half just now after work: most of these crossover tracks are underwhelming (including the Popcaan one). the Balvin one works thanks to its solid, if unspectacular sort-of-return to the “On The Low” beat (hi there… Skread?)

apart from the two killer singles, (the) keepers on first listen are “Science”, “It’s Plenty” (very Sound of 2022), “Jagele” (with Burna sliding into his higher register) and “Different Size” (with naijapiano’s secret vocal weapon Victony)

wanted to get this perhaps premature (re)view on the ILM record after my almost complete no show here regarding TaT, which remained a musically traumatic experience no matter how many chances I gave it (although I did ultimately realize that “Onyeka (Baby)” at least is a pearl)

yes very excited about the return of kel-p. i was a little nervous after hearing the first track, which is a hodgepodge, but the rest is pretty great! even the ed sheeran track is fine.

i'll second "science" as an instant fav, with "whiskey" and "vanilla" joining as my initial non-single highlights

Kel-P tangent: had never this track from 2020 before - it’s superb:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzRFoo2WlQ4
Jujuboy Star • I Dey There

i like this a lot. african giant feels increasingly like one of the monumental albums of the last 10 years to me so i hesitate to compare anything else he does to that, it's prob not fair, that was just a lightning strike moment in a few ways. but this does feel like it leans more in that direction -- both in quality & style -- than twice as tall.

i actually like some of the collaborations? there's a bit of a karaoke feel to them, like the blxst song sounds exactly like a blxst song. the ed sheeran one is very much in the vein of his pop singles. but idk, i dig them. burna is just such a compelling vocalist... i love hearing him over the misty soft rock of the sheeran collab. i think the blxst one finds a throughline between their respective sounds even if the songwriting sorta transparently leans in blxst's direction. i also like the j balvin one, he coaxes a tenderness out of balvin that i love but hasn't been present in a lot of his recent music. the khalid one is way too mawkish i'd trash that one & the popcaan one isn't bad but feels forgettable. as a brief diversion into western radio music i enjoy that section of the album... they might even be a bit better than the future & YG tracks on african giant

I need to listen more but my undercooked & vague reaction was it reminded me a bit of Made In Lagos in terms of being extremely smooooth. I do wish the Popcaan feature has instead been the (apparently mythical) Koffee collaboration instead

And totally agree on African Giant being monumental. I don't want to think about this too hard, but it could be my favorite pop album of the 10s

and oh yeah, the Khalid song was the only one I earmarked for future skipping: drowned in syrup

produced and co-written by Jon Bellion, who Fireboy DML declared himself a fanboy of in his Apollo says. he must be so jealous (…) right now.

*days

I really like this too, buuuuuut Davido 1 - Burna 0 when it comes to Popcaan collabs. It’s not bad, just not risky enough.

I see what you did there

I’m realizing that i like “science” so much because it feels like a sequel to “anybody,” forever my fav burna song

didnt really enjoy this, maybe being too hard on it, but it kinda just sloshed around for me. loved the big acoustic guitar ballad thing though

He clearly went for feeling and a less expansive sound. It's all very pleasant and competent but he struggles to bring new things. For an afrobeats album it's very good, for a Burna Boy album it's lacking. By little at first, quite severely after. I may like 'Jagele' best, without being really impressed.

it's not as strong as african giant but again, it's a big improvement over twice as tall

nice & breezy, hope he scores some crossover hits from this, as he's clearly aiming for

somehow making guest appearances on afrobeats singles does wonders for sheeran, "for my hand" here and fireboy dml's "peru" are the best he's ever sounded

very much agree. Sheeran is unbearable to me most times (smug, uninspired but oh so highly effective stuff like “Bad Habits” can feel like the Worst Music Ever on a bad day), but the first thing I liked of his was “Shape Of You”, in the shape of its Legendury Beatz (afropop) remix.
part of it is smart marketing I’m sure, but he clearly loves African pop: he joined Fuse ODG in Twi on his “Boa Me” single in 2017 and also did a highlife-inspired track with him on his own album. he also had an official amapiano remix of “Bad Habits” (!) made by Kooldrink (of Tyla’s “Getting Late” fame). and yes, his feature on “Peru” is my favourite thing he ever did.

“Last Last” is shaping up to be Burna’s biggest hit btw, it’s currently at 12 in the UK and is doing well in several European countries, but also in places like New Zealand and Canada. the fact that it’s the biggest song in South Africa is also quite exceptional.

def one of the best songs on the project

i like this fine, its... pleasant. but im not finding it particularly dynamic. i think i like twice as tall more but prob too early to declare.

common person is the one i keep going back to, quite moving

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0SREUni2V8

Joey Akan is pretty harsh

That guy is such a weird & bad writer

I will say that piece and pitchfork's both correctly identify Cloak & Dagger as a highlight

And I generally agree with the first half >> second half narrative of both reviews. I called this "extremely smooth" upthread but I think what I should have said was "extremely mellow," so these takes aren't very surprising. The album could use a bigger dose of the biting menace you get in Kilometre

Pitchfork classifies it under… Rap?? what now??

anyway, that review (the P’fork one) is generally on point

Yeah agreed, the concluding paragraph is a v good summation, though the MLK handwringing is a bit much--not that that's a good line lol, but "extracting associative value" is silly in light of 6 decades of misuse & abuse of that speech

yeah the first run of songs (before the non-j hus guests start showing up) is pretty flawless imo, but i haven't been returning to the second half beyond "common person," "vanilla," and the blxst/kehlani collab

agree that the first half is stronger & more interesting, but idk the only dud is the khalid track

here’s a Nigerian review that makes more sense than the Joey Akan one - although I don’t agree with some of the song assessments.

meanwhile, it’s “Vanilla” that gets a video besides the Ed Sheeran collabo:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNYl4ZCZDAI

It's pretty subtle but does the album mix of Kilometre sounds different to anyone else? Not just different but a little better/more banging if my ears can be trusted

Yeah, I noticed it at once. Not sure if it needed it, but there’s more going on in the mix for sure.

more Burna chart stats - I know you love ‘em:

“Last Last” enters the Billboard Hot 100 at #86, his first US hit. it’s now #7 in the UK, where “For My Hand” debuts at #30 - making it the first amapiano-ish(-ish) track to go top 40, I think?

Love, Damini enters the UK (and Dutch) album charts at #2, and the Billboard 200 Albums at #14, highest peaks for an afropop/afrobeats album ever (for comparison, Made in Lagos debuted at #15 in the UK and #80 in the US (and #28 for the Deluxe Edition when “Essence” was blowing up)

listening to the album again today after a couple of days hiatus: first half remains very strong, of the second-half collabos I still like the J Balvin one, but turns out “Solid” ain’t bad either. the others tho… nah.

"common person" too ordinary? "vanilla" too...you know?

I was talking about the songs with features specifically. the rest of the second half is also weaker than the first, but “Common Person” in
particular stood out much more for me this time

“Wild Dreams” is more like a tame impala tho

xp ah missed the word "collabos" in there

icymi, Last Last has been riddim-ized in JA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6y36Bg8wvPg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yugwBn8doVk

Gotta love Skilli's minimalism. Bay-be.

new song, “Alone”, from the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever thingy:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8qGmBtXZV8

it’s growing on me

Burna x Balvin, “Rollercoaster”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyVVGW-5ITw

sounds like a rehash of “Anybody”/“Gbona”-era Burna, aimed primarily (or even exclusively) at the global market. not sure the song is all that strong tho.

it would have fit fine on the last album, it's pleasant but nothing special

sounding great on talibans - https://open.spotify.com/album/4EouhaKTJkW8xRpLsCz7va?si=dCzd-LIOR5mXGfiFg7K9TA

^otm

his new single "Big 7" is so much fun:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GATRApPww8

new album out 8/25

hell yeah

if this means there's a RZA beat on the album...oh man

yeah “big 7” is great … one of the best things from him in recent memory

i really love this song... "ghetto gospel preacher / two time community service breacher" is a great line

i can't quite put my finger on it but this feels like it harkens back to 'outside' era to me in that it's sorta this sui generis version of pop-rap that has clear west african/american/carribean influences but feels slightly unmoored from any specific region or genre, all the influences are baked in and not easily separable. it's kinda like he's just floating above the globe, absorbing sounds and then spitting out a song where everything feels seamlessly woven together (forgive my metaphor mixing). great record. i feel like i got burned a bit by the last album, which i really wanted to like (and which had a great lead single), but this song has me optimistic

https://www.vibe.com/music/music-news/burna-boy-afrobeats-lacks-substance-faces-backlash-1234783091/

Burna Boy getting flack for telling Apple interviewer that afrobeats lacks substance

New album sounds perfect and unforced outside of the wu tang features.

he's kinda coasting in the same way as the last album but it's still good, very solid stuff

no idea what the point of the wu-tang interludes is though

yeah this is rather good! only listened once, but I think I was more into the second half? starting with Big 7 it really flows, though agreed about the Wu stuff and I probably just need to pay more attention to the first half

upgrading my opinion to: this rules

I'm curious what J0rd thinks?

have only listened once, but i am not entirely surprised by the mixed reception, considering this is such a blatant mainstream play. but i think it's pretty good overall, give or take a j. cole verse, definitely a major step above last year's alb.

I’m not sure what mainstream means in this context

it feels like he’s trying to speak more to the rap establishment with the wu appearances, plus 21 savage and j. cole guest verses

oh ok that makes sense. He’s bigger than j cole in my mind but that’s probably empirically wrong

caught his concert last night, the show is incredible. live version of “anybody” blew the roof off the place

he is awesome live

recorded version of “it’s plenty” was a bit too cheesy to me but a stadium full of people singing along and going nuts to it while Burna boy is jumping up and down with the worlds widest grin on his face with confetti cannons and fireworks going off behind him really warmed me on it