Today, proudly Nigerian music export, GRAMMY/BRITs-nominee, a two-time recipient of BET’s Best International Act award and MTV Europe Music Award’s Best African act BURNA BOY, officially unveils the release date and full tracklist for his fifth studio album, TWICE AS TALL.
Executive produced by Sean “Diddy” Combs, Bosede Ogulu and Damini “Burna Boy” Ogulu, TWICE AS TALL serves as the official follow-up music platter to the GRAMMY-nominated album AFRICAN GIANT.
With the first single from the album, “Wonderful” produced by Telz garnering widespread praise from media publications including Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, TIME, Entertainment Weekly and many more, Burna described the song as being “about the ‘wonders’ of seeing the impact of my music on people’s lives while touring, and it also serves as a note that no matter how far you go, or how hard you work; you must be ready to come home. Above all, Africa is home, it is the motherland to all people.”
The album, mostly recorded in Lagos during the COVID-19 pandemic, is a beautiful melange of sounds. 11 songs from the 15 track album were produced by Nigerian producers 8 of whom are from the *Spaceship Collective.* LeriQ, Telz, P2J and Rexxie, while Mike Dean, Sean ”DIDDY” Combs, Timbaland, Skread and Jae5 add the spice to the sound, completing the 15 track album.
‘ Alarm clock’, the second track on the album, produced by P2j and co-produced by DIDDY is one of those unique sounds that glorifies the Afrofusion genre that is Burna Boy.
One of the album’s most haunting songs, ‘The Monsters You Made’ produced by LeriQ sees Burna Boy and Coldplay bring to life an echoey roots reggae and rock fusion. This track condemns miseducation, addresses historical and social injustice from the Niger Delta in Nigeria to the pillage of African land and resources to global systemic racism, police brutality and corruption: delivered perfectly in a sound that’s bound to question and resonate.
“Wetin Dey Sup” is the 13th track on the album, produced by Telz and co-produced by Timberland; punctuated by gunshots and sirens that warn: “They only respect the money and the violence,” speaks to the pulse of the Nigerian youth. Telz also produced Real Life featuring Stormzy.
Other tracks to look out for on the ‘Twice As Tall’ album are ‘Level Up’, produced by DJDS, featuring legendary Youssou N’dour. Bebo’ produced by Rexxie, ‘Onyeka’ and Naughty by Nature both produced by Telz, ‘Comma’ produced by Rexxie, and ‘No fit Vex’ another one by LeriQ.
In the 15 songs on the “Twice as Tall” 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.
While this album is a pure, unapologetic African body of work, it boasts of a global contemporary sound that is for everyone. For the “African Giant” this project is a product of a potpourri of emotions and he is now standing “twice as tall.
”The ‘TWICE AS TALL’ album is set to be released on August 14, 2020, at midnight WAT.
