By Adegboyega Adeleye

Grammy-award-winning superstar, Burna Boy has released his highly anticipated seventh studio album, ‘I Told Them’ which professes to be a grand statement to everyone who never believed in him.

The Nigerian singer, songwriter, and performing artist released the album on Friday, 25th of August 2023 via Spaceship/Bad Habit/ Atlantic Record.

The album comes on the heels of the success recorded for his 2022 Grammy-nominated sixth studio album, ‘Love, Damini’ which included chart-topping hit singles such as ‘Last Last,’ ‘For Your Hand’ feat Ed Sheeran, ‘Kilometre,’ ‘Common Person,’ and ‘It’s Plenty.’

‘I Told Them’ is a 15-track LP containing lead singles “Sittin’ On Top of The World” ft. 21 Savage, “Big 7” & bonus track “Talibans II” with Byron Messia.

Burna Boy’s international music pull sees him merge Afrobeats with hip-hop, R&B, and reggae, a style of the genre he coined ‘Afrofusion.’

In a recent interview, Burna Boy revealed what inspired his seventh studio album as he said he went down memory lane on his Twitter account and discovered that he had previously tweeted about all he is achieving now, hence, the name of the album, ‘I Told Them’.

The fifteen-track album features previously released songs like “Sittin’ On Top Of The World” featuring 21 Savage, “Big 7,” “Cheat On Me” featuring Dave, which dropped earlier this week, and his remix of Byron Messia’s hit “Talibans.”

Burna Boy also collaborated with J. Cole for the song “Thanks,” and the project also guests two Wu-Tang legends: GZA on the album’s title track, and RZA on “Jewels.”

Afobeats sensation, Seyi Vibes also features on the track ‘Giza’ to give the album the much-needed street vibe that local audiences in Nigeria yearn for as Burna Boy further pushes to make a claim amongst the mainstream audience.

Some other tracks include ‘Normal’, ‘On Form,’ ‘City Boys,’ ‘Tested, Approved and Trusted’, ‘Dey Play’, and ‘If I’m Lying’ all of which show the Afrobeats superstar giving himself credits for attaining his superstar status.

The album is well-enchanted and it affirms Burna Boy’s musical prowess.

I Told Them

The opening track titled ‘I Told Them’ features American Wu-Tang Clan rapper, GZA, who delivers an amazing verse that complements Burna Boy’s vocals perfectly.

The 32-year-old self-acclaimed African giant sings: “I told them, ‘I’m a genius… I’m a real African giant!’” 

Sittin’ On Top Of The World’  ft. 21 Savage

The hip-hop-inspired ‘Sittin’ On Top Of The World’  features 21 Savage and Burna Boy notes that he is sitting on top of the world.

Burna Boy sings: “(I’m just tryna be me) Go, go ahead, it’s your time, baby

It’s your time, baby, get wild, baby (I’m just tryna be me)

That’s the difference when you’re my baby

That’s how it is when you’re (Sittin’ on top of the world)”

Cheat On Me ft. Dave

Burna Boy shows his vulnerability in ‘Cheat On Me’ featuring talented British-Nigerian rapper, Dave when he laments that many people do not believe in him but he delivers— ‘No be everybody be believer, Anytime that I double up I deliver.

Dave also strikes a fine balance of humble bravado and references Ghanaian footballer, Asamoah Gyan’s famous last-minute penalty miss at the 2010 FIFA World Cup against Uruguay, saying “I’m Asamoah Gyan, the way I hit the bar.”

Virgil

“Virgil” shows an American record executive waffling LA-style about “promoting the album in, like, a traditional way but peeling off the industry…”

“You know, like, selling the album, In thosе sort of like everyday ways”

Big 7

‘Big 7’ follows the same line of thought (self-confidence) where he sings about his loyal fans and “squares’ in his crew called brothers.

Burna Boy sings: “Put your hands up, reach for the roof if you know you f- with me

Don’t like squares in my crew

If I call you my brother then you best believe you’re stuck with me

Been wavy since morning

I no go fit take you from nothin’

So I beg you, no disturb me”

“Big 7 is a melodic tribute to embracing new heights in my musical journey,” said Burna Boy. “The title represents a symbolic aspiration to reach greater horizons, with the number seven embodying an attainable and harmonious growth.”

The tune is more enjoyable as it is filled with upbeat melodies and trap beats. Burna Boy celebrates himself as a superstar ‘Big 7’ who journeys from London to Berlin, Sweden, Paris, and everywhere in the world.

He sings: “Wavy since London, wavy since Berlin

So no dey talk to me in public

No dey talk to me in public

Wavy since Sweden, wavy since Paris

So no dey talk to me in public

I’m in a different place

If you see me tonight

You can clearly see that I’ve been wavy since mornin’ “

In the track, Burna Boy paid tribute to the late Indian rapper, Sidhu Moose Wala, — “Alright, R.I.P. to Sidhu” and the late American fashion designer, Virgil Abloh— “First of all, rest in peace Virgil Abloh, Don’t spill no drink on my clothes when I’m Louis V drippin’ “

Dey Play

‘Dey play’ is a popular Nigerian slang which translates as ‘keep playing.’

Burna Boy uses the slang to warn his critics and inform them of his wave amid the criticisms.

In ‘Dey play’ he sings: “I’m hunting, move like I’m speed racing

So fast they couldn’t believe it.”

City Boys

In ‘City Boys,’  Burna Boy states that he expects people to know how big he is and he uses the street lingo “O yе ke (Yeah) da mo” — a popular Yoruba phrase that translates in English as ‘You are expected to recognize how big I am to express this sentiment.

He sings: “O yе ke (Yeah), da mo, O ye ke, je lo,O ye ke (Yeah), jowo o, O ye ke, ah, O ye ke, eh, O ye ke.”

The ‘Odogwu’ crooner also sends a note of warning to his haters, adding that he is proud of his heritage and formative years in Port-Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria.

He sings: “As they’re hatin’ on us

Make we manya more

 Know I be my father-son

‘Cause you know say I come from Port Harcourt”

Burna calls himself a ‘City Boy’ who derives joy from the street and says he is not religious, singing:

“Cause I be city boy

And as I dey for the streets e dey give me joy

Lamborghini boy

Put diamonds on Jesus and I’m not religious, o da na”

The song which was written by Burna Boy, Jeremih, Ruuben, MD$, Michael Abram Schlutz & Keith Eric James also features a comment from J.Hus that affirms the theme of the album— self-belief.

He sings: “Ayo, I’m not even gonna lie, I used to call myself a ugly you, but I’m not even a ugly yout

I’m a sexy yout, you understand?

Gyal all over the globe wanna uck me, you understand?”

Giza ft. Seyi Vibez

He also celebrates his wins in ‘Giza’ ft. Seyi Vibez (only Nigerian feature) as the upbeat street hop lingo by Seyi Vibez compliments Burna Boy’s expressive affirmation of self-belief.

He sings: “Giza, my music travel no visa, Lamborghini, Beamer, Don’t f** with my Gs, ah, Oh, oh, oh, oh, Giza, da kun ma je ri iya.”

12 Jewels

’12 Jewels’ is a 28-second interlude by RZA explaining twelve Jewels that are important in life.

RZA notes: “The twelve jewels are basically the twelve important things that a man should inspire for. That’s the best acquisition you can have, right and it’s simple—Knowledge, wisdom, understanding, Freedom, justice, equality, Food, clothing, shelter, Love, peace and happiness. Those are the twelve jewels”

Burna Boy ends the album on an acoustic note, with the devoted, guitar-backed “If I’m Lyin’” and “Thanks” (feat J Cole)

“If I’m Lyin’’

The Afrobeats giant affirms his claim in the guitar-backed “If I’m Lyin’’ where he sings:

“And, if I’m lyin’, let the ocean and seas start dryin’

The birds in the sky stop flyin’

All the trees in the world start dyin’, all start dyin”

Thanks ft. J Cole

In ‘Thanks,” Burna Boy lamented that Nigerians do not appreciate him enough and show him “love” despite making the country proud at “every chance” he gets.

He starts with the phrase “Finish him” and sings alongside J. Cole:

 “Is this the m****ing  thanks I get

For making my people proud every chance I get? (Yeah)

It’s okay, I get (Cole World)

This Naija, no love

Only Jah knows where we started from”

He claimed that he gave Nigerians “Afrofusion” and bragged that he is the blueprint for music success in Nigeria, singing: “I showed you how to really do this thing

Oluwa Burna na the blueprint of course

And I gave you Afrofusion

No words can describe our love”

Burna Boy also claimed that “Too many people no dey fear God” and Hell was created because “mankind is so jealous” and “Wetin they no know they can’t tell us, tell us.” He quoted his famous line “Oluwa Burna” and said “My fall is unheard of, You never hear them say I fell off, fell off”

The Afrobeats superstar, whose maternal grandfather, Benson Idonije, was Afrobeat pioneer and music legend, Fela Kuti’s first manager, also said instead of getting credit from Nigerians, they spread rumours that his mother was one of the dancers of the late Fela, and many people abuse him for not having a baby mama like most of his colleagues.

He also said Nigerians criticise him unfairly and referenced the incident where his police escorts allegedly shot at a woman named Ms. Steph Briella, her partner, and her best friend at Club Cubana, Victoria Island, Lagos on June 8, 2022. He said many people blamed him for the incident and said he wanted to snatch the woman from her partner.

He sings: “You say my mama dance for Fela

You say I no get baby mama

You say that I’m cancelled again

You say I shoot pesin for Cubana (Yeah)

Because I wan collect pesin woman (That’s how they act, right?)

Is this the m***ing thanks I get for making my people proud every chance I get?”

Talibans II with Byron Messia

In Talibans II, Burna Boy also said he makes the news headlines for the wrong reasons.

He sings: “Anything I do

Headline news even wetin I no do

Them go say, “I do”

Nothing but the truth when I step up in the booth

No lie, my life no be small thing”

The central theme of self-confidence is dominant in the album and it evidently replies his critics.

Burna Boy further pushes his album to the mainstream with his self-coined ‘Afro-fusion’ genre after he described Afrobeats as ‘nothing’, saying it lacks substance.

In an interview with Apple Music, Burna Boy said 90 per cent of Afrobeats songs is devoid of real-life experiences and only portray an amazing time that life isn’t all about.

His statement has since sparked a range of reactions on social media with some agreeing with him, and others criticising him for being arrogant.

His new album ‘I Told Them’ professes to be a grand statement to everyone who never believed in him.

It is left to Nigerian music fans to decide if his reply is genuine or not.

‘I Told Them” Tracklist

1. I Told Them feat. GZA

2. Normal

3. On Form

4. Sittin’ On Top Of The World feat. 21 Savage

5. Tested, Approved & Trusted

6. Cheat On Me feat. Dave

7. Virgil

8. Big 7

9. Dey Play

10. City Boys

11. Giza feat. Seyi Vibez

12. 12 Jewels feat. RZA

13. If I’m Lying

14. Thanks feat. J. Cole

15. Talibans II with Byron Messia