Burna Boy is here to stay, and he wants the whole world to know it.
Burna Boy’s story started in Africa—and Africa is where his focus remains. His love and dedication for the continent shine through everything he does—including the music he produces. His outspoken and sometimes controversial nature has ensured he’s always received the accolades and plaudits he deserves. To many, his success may be recent, but to Burna Boy, he’s always deserved his due respect.
The Burna boy is due respect, and he’s making sure its paid in full
In 2019, when the lineup for Coachella was announced, Burna Boy wasn’t happy. In a post, he said: “I don’t appreciate the way my name is written so small on your bill… I am an AFRICAN GIANT and will not be reduced to whatever that tiny writing means. Fix things quick please”.
To some, it may seem arrogant or cocky, but his point is an important one: African artists deserve as much respect as anyone else. This African giant is due respect, and he’s making sure it’s being paid in full. His demands for recognition and respect come with good reason: his music has produced stunning success.
2019 was proclaimed the year of Burna Boy, the African giant – he won the Best African Act at the MTV EMA Awards, he performed at Coachella as a headline act, he won the Best International Act at the BET awards and collaborated with huge global names. He came to dominate the Afrobeats genre alongside other heavyweights such as Davido and WizKid; and in response, he didn’t take a central position in the limelight, he shared it.
Burna Boy loves his people and his continent, and he wants you to know it
There’s a good reason for all his accolades: when it comes to hits, Burna Boy has a God-given talent. From Ye to Killen dem, his music has gained millions of streams in most countries, and have inspired thousands of dance videos on Youtube, Snapchat and TikTok. “From what I’ve read and from what I’ve studied and from what I researched, the world started from Africa,” Burna Boy said. “So music must have started from Africa. And I feel like when everything starts kind of going left, like what is going on right now, everybody runs home”.
To him, the use of his music at various Black Lives Matter protests around the world would have come as no surprise – “That is one thing that really gives me a sense of happiness, pride and accomplishments. Seeing things like that motivates me to go on” he said in an interview with the New York Times. For a man who cares and speaks so much about the progress and struggles of Black people around the world, he would no doubt take into account how much his music is used to inspire change and progress when measuring his impact and success; and from current events, it seems he’s doing just that.
When it comes to speaking on issues he cares about, he doesn’t hold back. On Black lives Matter, he hasn’t minced his words. Unlike other celebrities, Burna Boy’s honesty and love for his culture and people make him authentic. His fame and global stardom haven’t made him ignorant of issues – “If I hadn’t become this global, I wouldn’t have been able to see first-hand the marginalisation, injustice and reality outside of my constituency”, he said. He sees the problem of racism as affecting all Black people and not just those in America – “you can’t demand respect in the place where they don’t believe that you belong”.
Before the death of George Floyd and the protests that followed, Burna Boy channelled his political views through his music and interviews. As an avid fan of the Pan-Africanist view, he’s consistently held the view that the only way for Africa to excel is by coming together; and by bringing together the whole continent and the world through his music, he may be closer to realising his goal.
In his latest album, Twice as Tall, Burna Boy is letting the music do the talking
When Burna Boy announced that Diddy was to produce his latest album, Twice as Tall, interest was peaked. African giant meets America’s best – the result is an album that gained traction and attention all around the world.
Although his new album features different sounds, Burna Boy retains his ability to preach his message whilst making catchy and memorable hits. The first song on the album, Wonderful, is all about Africa being humanity’s motherland and the track Alarm Clock, which features Diddy, sends an important message that he wants all to hear: we should treat each other with love and respect.
Whilst this album, with millions of streams after its initial release, cements Burna Boy’s image as a global megastar, it carries the same message and vibes we’ve become used to. It’s an album full of fire, but it carries with it a hope of good times.
An undeniable love for Africa, a talent for creating hits, and undeniable confidence in his abilities – Burna Boy’s got the whole world singing.
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