Burna Boy has time and again proven to be a musical prodigy who has been able to capture the essence of West African Afrobeats and seamlessly integrate them into modern pop creating the sonic excellence we he calls “Afro-Fusion”, Damini will be the man for canonization when we have to name the patron saint of the genre. He effortlessly weaves intricate rhymes with passionate melodies that will melt your heart like no other artist can do it better than him.
Burna Boy has created a body of work that feels like he’s found his safe space in “Love, Damini”,the singer discusses topics such as his fears and vulnerability. Discussing the core of “Love, Damini” can be started with the 2-billion-streamed song “Last Last.” The song’s fluttering guitar melody and chill, and the infectious sample of Toni Braxton’s “He Wasn’t Man Enough” are just the beginning of how Burna’s story of manipulating love and adult mistakes is bathed in an unusual, seductive amniotic fluid.
The fact that Burna Boy could put 19 tracks on an album that is currently about to set a record for first African music album to get to the summit of the UK album charts means that he is convinced without a doubt that listeners will not only enjoy but connect with every song on the album.
Due to his unique voice, Burna Boy can stir emotional vibrations that speak directly to the theme he is attacking. Notice the turbulent vigor on ‘Kilometre’, the sobriety on ‘Common Person’, the vain polish on ‘Different Size’, and his subtle harmonies as he helms opposite ends of an octave with Ed Sheeran on ‘Fall My Hand’. There’s also the meditative air on ‘Whiskey’, which is the one overtly political track on this album. Dedicated to his hometown of Port Harcourt, ‘Whiskey’ invokes a questioning feeling of love, grief, and pity.
There’s no disputing that Burna Boy’s newest album is expertly selected, even as it comes largely devoid of the political undertones that distinguished his two prior LPs and made him stand out on music’s greatest night, there’s no denying that his latest project is smartly curated to achieve the most on the charts and relatable to the international audience, the album is currently sitting at #1 in 30 different countries and is set to break more streaming records in the coming months (check the charts).
Overall, Love, Damini both acknowledges and laments the limitations of adulthood as well as highlights the positive aspects of life.
What did you think of the album on your first listen, and what is your favorite song now?
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