Singer-song writer Burna Boy has released a new single, named Wonderful. The track was released on the 25th June and precedes the artist’s fifth studio album, Twice as Tall , which is due to be released this summer.
Wonderful combines a warming melody with Burna Boy’s own smokey vocals to deliver a single that evokes feelings of hope, elation and positivism. The Nigerian star explained that he wanted to use the track to show that ‘music is a uniting force that transcends state lines, barriers and boarders‘, and was inspired by ‘the impact of [his] music on people’s lives‘ as well as the ‘joy, pain and pleasure‘ that was shared with him as he ‘toured the world.’ The reviews confirm that his message has been successfully received, with Rolling Stone declaring that its ‘crisp beat‘ and ‘cheerful‘ riff will eventually bring people together on dance floors ‘around the Atlantic‘.
The new album, Twice as Tall, looks to build on the barnstorming success that Burna Boy enjoyed in 2019. His album African Giant earned the artist The Best World Music Album at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards, and included the single On The Low which was awarded a gold plaque for achieving 15 million streams in France. African Giant was merely the foundation for the artist, as he transitioned into a household name because of features on Stormzy’s Own It and Dave’s Location. He is now considered the undisputed king of Afro-fusion, with the Chicago Sun Times labelling him a ‘pioneer‘ of the wider Afro-beats movement.
Burna Boy, native to the Edo State of Nigeria, has helped popularise a distinctly African genre. He has often cited fellow countryman Fela Kuti as an inspiration. Kuti, who was managed by Burna Boy’s grandfather, is considered as a founding father of the Afro-beat genre. Burna Boy has fused Kuti’s sound with dance-hall rhythm and contemporary western R and B. The result is a cultural, commercial interpretation of continental musical identity. The Grammy winner reflected his African pride in Wonderful, which he described as a ‘note to come home‘ no matter ‘how far you go‘. ‘Above all‘ Burna Boy mused, ‘Africa is home, it is the motherland to all people. For us to truly matter, Africa has to matter‘.
The musician was due to celebrate his summer release with a tour of the United States, however, as a result of current events it has been postponed.The impending popularity of Wonderful, and the sentiment it inspires, proves that mere postponement will not stop Burna Boy’s meteoric rise. The artist has an innate ability to radiate a toe-tapping, crackling, aura through sound. His new single is no exception, as the sun-soaked, bbq sizzled, boozed gardens of the nation will soon discover.
