Burna Boy – OUTSIDE (2018)

uh so this is on Spotify currently I'm listening

Those little Dilemma samples in "Pull Up" are perfect.

amazing album

Yup already listened through a few times

What a great album, all the way through. I was ever so slightly underwhelmed by “Pull Up” (relative to the massive singles that came before, that is), but this fulfils every expectation. Everything works, nothing feels forced. All the “international” features notwithstanding, this feels less like an attempt at a crossover album than Outside. Just a pretty much perfect piece of work by an artist in their imperial phase (justifying the album’s title), and more proof that African pop is getting there on its own terms, no concessions given, thank you very much.

(Favourite moment right now: the way “Gbona” is teased under Angelique Kidjo’s vocals in the coda of “Different”)

(“On The Low” still the kind of song that could top charts around the world)

even the future song works

This is exactly what I needed. Just one question though: is choking someone during sex considered to be extremely romantic these days? I get that it's a "thing" in prn atm, I'm just not sure I'm ready for it to become a trope in love songs just yet.

(As you can hopefully tell, I'm happily married)

wonderful album, nearly every track sounds like a hit

Love the deep voiced dude who appears towards the end of On The Low. Also this Zlatan guy rules.

Overall this feels like both a more confident and less showy album than Outside, especially given how backloaded all the A-list guest spots are.

a good jorja smith track... truly burna has the magic touch

Jorja's song on Ezra Collective's album is good as well but yeah.

i've had this on all day pretty much. sooo good!

Performing “Anybody” live on Jimmy Kimmel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuMM9vv4Gt0

the whole album is excellent, but i still think anybody towers over it. might be my song of the year.

Also this Zlatan guy rules.

This fucking album oh yes :D

have to admit I'm curious about Blak Ryno Skit, haven't heard from that guy in a little while

― rob, Wednesday, July 24, 2019 1:46 PM (five days ago)

this delivered beyond my wildest expectations

I was off the grid when this dropped, but finally listening now and the whole thing is fantastic

oh god this is brilliant

that kimmel performance is flames

incredible album. tho also made me more certain that 'outside' was aiiiiite

makes it seem more like a stepping stone yeah.

It's a good thing he's crossing over with this one and not with the lily allen single, even though that was actually a good song.

every layer of production in "secret" is exquisite

I agree with the consensus that AG is more confident & cohesive, and it's exciting that this more-rooted-in-the-local album represents such a leveling up and is getting attention. But, idk it's a little premature to reevaluate Outside, no? It's likely I'll end up agreeing that AG>>>Outside, but I'm barely familiar with the non-singles yet.

that said, I do hope this creates some space for Wizkid to put out an equally uncompromised album

If the accounts I’ve seen about Made in Lagos are to be believed, he will. (The endless postponing is getting me nervous tho.)

i don't know if the superlative chill of african giant is really compatible with the pre-existing level of stress i am planning on maintaining in my day-to-day existence this year

Listening to the song w Future is making me think that perhaps the way Future uses his voice might have set an example for Burna and been instrumental in allowing him to slow down, open up and relax more and more over the past five years. I remember thinking that there was a slight constriction to his voice and subject matter (so many songs about how his enemies were trying to hold him back on that first album!) when I started listening to him around 2013-14 that... well... held him back a little. He was always great but he sings with so much more authority now than he used to do. There are obviously other things going on w regards to this point of a more local nature (plus, he got older), and also some very big differences between the two, but once I heard it I couldn't quite unhear it either.

On the one hand, I can hear that, especially on the slower tracks and yes, in terms of subject matter at times. On the other, I think Future sounds out of place on his track--maybe I'll come around with a few more listens, but I think a Jamaican or UK artist would have fit in better (might also be influenced by it being Dre Skull and possibly Popcaan saying "woi-yo").

I'm reluctant to make this point because it's feels blinkered for a non-Nigerian to hear this, but the comparison that comes to my mind the most is Fela. Definitely not on every track, but when he gets throatier (not to mention political) it strikes me as the best possible kind of influence, not copying or paying homage, just tapping into how FK used his voice. For me, it's a noticeable part of the "authority" you mentioned.

Yeah, that was mostly what I was referring to w "obviously other things going on w regards to this point of a more local nature" but I would add Fela filtered through the crossover success of Ojuelegba with its Fela leanings but also decidedly un-Fela vocals, lol. It's like a lane opened up for Burna and he decided to go for it. At least that's how I hear it.

And idk, I think Future sounds good on that track.

Both American rappers sound kind of incongruous to me, but ftr not "bad" just not as organic as the other features. That might be because they're at the end of the album though, and I haven't absorbed it yet--I could well come around.

I don’t think it’s controversial to say Burna’s been influenced by Fela - case in point:
https://medium.com/@chibueze/how-many-times-has-burna-boy-sampled-his-idol-and-grandfathers-friend-fela-let-s-count-2587a78c89e6

Oh yeah didn't mean to imply it was controversial, more just a "listens to Nigerian music once" kinda observation to make

And a review of the album by renowned Nigerian music writer Joey Akan for The FADER.

xp

well, just a follow-up post really

...once, twice, three times a Fela...

wait, Skrillex produced Show & Tell? I swear I heard Dre Skull's producer tag on that. I cannot find a good source for credits for this though

Def stepping into something I don't know enough about to comment on, but while I get Gaddafi is a much more complicated figure than the Western view of him would suggest, including him in a list of "greatest leaders" with Mandela and Fela is kind of wild, especially if you're going to question Burna's politics on the back of "Dangote".

Lol, I didn't catch that! [DJ Drama] Proble-MATIC! [/DJ Drama]
That is definitely the sort of thing that an artist might get away with but a critic at the Fader shouldn't.

You’re both right:

New one for Burna and Future 🚀🚀 https://t.co/rYe7WW1KEs

— Dre Skull (@dreskull) July 25, 2019

xxp

ah-ha and thank you

I’m having trouble finding/establishing the credits as well. “Destiny” was produced by DJDS apparently, of that Steel & Copper EP that dropped earlier this year.

Both American rappers sound kind of incongruous to me, but ftr not "bad" just not as organic as the other features.

― rob, Wednesday, July 31, 2019 10:31 AM (two hours ago)

maybe worth noting that a big part of this is the...remarkable way YG pronounces bumbaclaat lmao

Yg and future are kind of boring guests imo.. love the Jeremih /serani though

Yeah that one is rad, Jorja is good, Kidjo is awesome, Marley is fine if you don't listen too hard to the lyrics. As mentioned I love the Blak Ryno thing, Zlatan is great though that's not surprising since that was originally released as Zlatan f. Burna Boy. I'd never heard of M.anifest before but that song is excellent.

The Hannah Giorgis piece in the atlantic mentioned that BB loves Koffee so hopefully their mutual admiration will result in something soon. The Fader piece said he's dating Stefflon Don, which is news to me and I'm a little surprised they haven't collaborated if that is the case.

I’m a bit surprised that Koffee collab didn’t happen in time for this album.

I love the track with M.anifest too (he’s a veteran in the GH rap scene, but I haven’t listened to him much).