Burna Boy – OUTSIDE (2018)

This has stuck with me all year and is now a contender for year's best thanks to Burna's laid-back charisma and how artful the production fuses dancehall, highlife, rap, and rnb.

Ph City was the immediate standout when I first heard this in January and it might still be the one, but there's a lot to love here. Thanks to Kanye plus some accidental SEO, Ye is probably the biggest hit (though Rock Your Body was pretty big in 2017 iirc). Both features are excellent--I don't have any Allen pro or con feelings, but even if you do she's incorporated well here. The title track is the least compelling, but sticking it on last minimizes the damage.

Good album, although I was underwhelmed by him live .

heh I can imagine that. But I'm curious: what kind of set-up did he use? was this in DC? what venue?

either Ye or Sekkle Down

I tend to think the first half is >>> the second, but Giddem's Dire Straits meet Sly and Robbie vibe really stood out on a recent listen

the only ye I recognise

definitely the best Kanye-related news of 2018

I saw Burna Boy at the Howard Theatre in DC and he had a band plus used backing tracks at times. He didn’t seem that into performing the songs. He held the mic out to the crowd for more time than I have seen anyone do so. When I saw Yemi Alade there another time , she danced, sang, engaged the crowd. It was great. I saw Serge Beynaud live in Maryland once. Just he & dancers and backing tracks. But Serge was charismatic and the dancers were great, so that was better than Burns live too. I still like Burna Boy’s album though.

One of the best albums of the year, for sure. It’s between “PH City Vibration” and “Ye” for me, I think (I’m not counting “Rock Your Body” - too familiar as a 2017 hit already). I also have a soft spot for “Streets of Africa”, annoying nursery rhyme and all.

The two pre-album tasters that didn’t make it to the album, “Gba” and “Deja Vu”, would have been contenders too.

btw rob, I know you know “Ye”’s popularity isn’t just to do with the Kanye factor: https://www.pulse.ng/entertainment/music/some-nigerians-want-burna-boys-ye-to-be-the-national-anthem-id8438414.html

Thanks for that link--I was def worried I was overstating the "ye" effect (kind of an occupational hazard as I've been researching the effect of algorithmic recommendations on culture), but tbh I wasn't exactly sure what accounted for that being such a breakout hit.

I find Streets charmingly goofy as well. I can't remember if I've heard "Gba" or "Deja Vu" (will do so shortly) but follow-up single "Gbona" deserves mention here--it could have been added seamlessly.

For me it's probably something like 1) Ph City 2) Ye 3) Koni Baje. 4) Rock your Body. 5) Lily Allen. I don't really listen to the others.

xp There’s also current hit “On The Low”. I felt it was a step down from “Gbona” at first, but I’ve fallen for it hard this weekend.

gbona is amazing... i love how supple his beats are

ph city insane also

Voting calm down because it hasn't been mentioned yet and I love it

Calm Down is awesome, probably the biggest surprise production-wise on first listen, somehow there's a lot going on while it also being really elegant (<-- maybe applies to the whole album). I should look up the credits for this

also I assume "Outside" won't get a vote but I love that closing couplet

this is my aoty and Calm Down is easily my most listened to song since whenever this released. not a song on here i dont like. easy album to get lost in.

calm down kinda reminds me of right side of my brain off of love vs money. predominant layered vocals being used to create something really immersive, and def both standout outliers on their respective albums.

the kinda mournful sax on "rock your body" is so dope

Went with ye cause it’s undeniable, but the whole thing is good, yes.

“Calm Down” was produced by Jae5, just like “Sekkle Down” with J Hus (obviously).

xps to rob

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

voted Ph City since it grabbed me earliest

Ph City is amazing but the one I've played most is the Lily Allen one so that

I love that one

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

Meant to make up my mind about this yesterday, but then I forgot. Would very likely have voted for “PH City” as well, so it wouldn’t have affected the result.

Does this mean we now know ILM has a core of 12/13 Afropop aficionados, or is there a higher ceiling?

that sounds about right. There are a few people who post to the rolling thread but didn't here (ufo, kreuzer 2, sean gramophone). I'm curious if deej or Matt DC are into this one?

i’ve still only heard individual singles from this but thanks for making a thread y’all, i’m gonna finally check it out today

it didn't click for me when i gave it a listen earlier in the year but i'll give it another try seeing all the enthusiasm for it here

real curious to hear yall's thoughts

quite a few more listens later and i can confirm it's pretty good! jae5 has to be one of my favourite producers in the world at the moment between all of his work with j hus and the tracks he produced on this, and "calm down" is definitely my favourite track on this - those "do-do-doos" are sublime

New Burna single, “Dangote”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3P1LxraqwE
(produced by Kel P, just like “Gbona” and “On The Low”)

I also like “My Baby”, his track on the new R2Bees album:
https://youtu.be/MdvSJxab6sM

...and this Afro-dancehall track:
https://youtu.be/bdn6H2d3gVM

Oritse Femi ft. Burna Boy & Konshens • Play Am

Dangote is really nice! I listened to Play Am the other day and didn't care for it, but now I can't remember why

yeah "dangote" is great

Video for “Dangote”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCPy1jvOp90

Read all about it.

...and a brand new EP with US producer duo DJDS, out today:

https://www.okayafrica.com/listen-burna-boy-djds-new-joint-ep-steel-and-copper.amp

Hm I only really liked "Darko" off that. The first two tracks are generic/dark, and "Thuggin" could grow on me, but it doesn't exactly alleviate the sluggish feeling of those openers

Yeah, I wasn’t feeling that at all on a first listen.

Same here - and a few listens in already.

I think I would be a lot more interested in US/UK/etc (r&b/rap) artists working with African producers. (I think Legendury Beatz have done some work in the UK, but instead of bringing something new to the table they have played it very safe in order to blend in iirc)

(instead of the other way around, if that wasn’t clear)

yeah I agree with that--Burna's not bad on it or anything but the gloomy setting makes him sound like an off-brand Future. I listened to Dangote afterwards and the production with the guitars and sax was immediately so much more appealing

Double-posting with the Rolling Afropop thread:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=so4dgTRaWFk
Burna Boy • Anybody

(the low-key lush production is by Rexxie, who’s moving up a level here)

(video is top notch too)

New album African Giant out on July 26th.

"anybody" is awesome, he has such great taste in production

Great news! (though I’m majorly behind on the afrothread)

Anybody is superb. Dangote has become a big favorite over the course of the year

album will reportedly include "Anybody", "On The Low", "Gbona", and "Dangote" so sounds promising

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).

Not a collab, but “Spiritual” is one of my faves of the new tracks.

the song w/ future is dope mostly bcuz it might be burna's best rapping on the album -- "rollie that's a bustdown it's full of diamonds / it don't tell the time but it's 80 thousand" -- but future feels patched in. i can't even remember anything about YG's part. one of the reasons this album is good is bcuz the token crossover guests are tacked onto already good songs in ways that feel superfluous at worst but not really detracting in any real way

“Pull Up” has snuck up on me, it’s on autoplay in my head now.

Btw, it’s not even the first Kel P-produced “Pull Up” with Dilemma sample that Burna was involved in this year:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecc_6DLTrtI
Timaya ft. Burna Boy • Pull Up

yeah my wife plays Pull Up a lot

The album has entered the UK album charts at 16 this week, and the Dutch charts at 12. Some kind of milestone for sure.

i’m in the middle of the street
how did i ever let you leave oh no
why did i drink this hennessey

Relatable imo

i guess he and jorja swapped features
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQsZUVMwEls

still listening to african giant m/l daily

visuals for Pull Up
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMyrBds_9Zc

This album rules. Serani on “Secret” makes me delirious

yeah that hook is undeniable

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7k0EBwu8g8

Another video, this time for “Gum Body” with Jorja Smitj:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iN2J9i5B6Ac

best hook of the year

Video for “Another Story” with M.anifest:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXbWwR4rSmY

There's a sound in the 'Anybody" mix that sounds like a 'email sent' notification in outlook so whenever i listen i have a weird visceral reaction. still my fav song of the year tho

https://www.npr.org/2019/11/18/779548274/burna-boy-tiny-desk-concert

so good

tiny desk up on YouTube now. so good

he's pretty disengaged from the crowd, not even a nod or smile of acknowledgement. he still delivered tho. that backup singer is a star.

HOLY SHIT this is amazing

time for a dedicated thread:
here comes the AFRICAN GIANT / Burna Boy (2019)