The fifth album from Nigerian music star and Grammy-nominee, Burna Boy, is scheduled for official release today, Friday, August 14.
The new album, ‘Twice as Tall’ follows the success of his critically acclaimed fourth album, ‘African Giant,’ which was nominated for a Grammy award and won him BET and MTV Europe Music Awards.
Already, the album’s first single, “Wonderful” has garnered positive reviews from international media that include Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, TIME, Entertainment Weekly, and more.
As the world anticipates the new album from the 29-year-old Burna Boy also known as Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu, here are three important details you should know before listening to the album.
- Burna Boy works with Diddy on the project
After gaining world recognition with his fourth album, Burna Boy has secured the attention of globally acclaimed music businessman, producer, and artist, Sean “Diddy” Combs. On Burna Boy’s ‘Twice as tall,’ Diddy joins Burna’s mum and manager, Bosede Ogulu, and Burna Boy, as producers on the project.
- The sound
For every song on the album, Burna Boy puts an identity of his Africaness that seems to have continued to work for him. The album, a pure and unapologetic African body of work boasts of a global contemporary sound. With many of the songs mostly recorded in Lagos during the COVID-19 pandemic, ‘Twice as tall’ is a beautiful melange of sounds. In all the 15 songs on the album, Burna Boy takes stock of his accomplishments, his vulnerabilities and at the same time, encouraging ambition, perseverance in the face of uncertainty, and against all odds.
- Timbaland joins eight Nigerian music producers
Burna Boy seems to have gone all out with his arsenals for the fifth album as he employs the services of award-winning music producer and singer, Timbaland. Timbaland joined eight other Nigerian music producers to work on the album. On the album’s 13th track is a song entitled “Wetin Dey Sup”. The song is co-produced by Timbaland and Nigeria’s Telz. The song is punctuated by gunshots and sirens that speaks to the pulse of the Nigerian youth.
11 songs from the 15 track album were produced by Nigerian producers 8 of whom are from the Spaceship Collective. Other producers include LeriQ, Telz, P2J, Rexxie, Mike Dean, Sean ”DIDDY” Combs, Timbaland, Skread, and Jae5.
‘Alarm clock’, the album’s second track is co-produced by Diddy and P2j.
Burna Boy features music acts like Stormzy, Coldplay, Youssou N’dour. (The Nation)
