haha dude i was just typing those out a little differently
so wassssssssssssuuuupyou alrrrrrrrrrrrrriiiiiiiiiiiightpullllllllllll uppppgirl im ouuuuuuuuuutsiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiide
― big city slam (Spottie), Wednesday, 24 July 2019 00:06 (four years ago) link
Killin’ Dem is on it too which means this already has 5 of my favorite recent songs on it. (Can’t listen to Pull Up yet)
― rob, Wednesday, 24 July 2019 00:27 (four years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EfSs6-Pxx8
here's "killin' dem" for those who hadn't heard it yet (like me) - the rhythm is fantastic
outside was good but with how great this run of singles has been i'm fully expecting african giant to be a step up, and "pull up" is one of my favourites yet
― ufo, Wednesday, 24 July 2019 04:20 (four years ago) link
"Pull Up" is lovely, all the singles are so effortlessly brilliant. I couldn't be more excited for this album--everything so far sounds cohesive but still individually excellent. I loved the range on Outside but this is shaping up to be exactly what I wanted in a follow-up.
― rob, Wednesday, 24 July 2019 14:03 (four years ago) link
I’ll just leave this here. #africangiantthealbum 🦍🚀 out on Friday pic.twitter.com/62JBO59m4I— Burna Boy (@burnaboy) July 24, 2019
― big city slam (Spottie), Wednesday, 24 July 2019 17:24 (four years ago) link
oh damn jeremih wasn't listen on apple music :)
― J0rdan S., Wednesday, 24 July 2019 17:35 (four years ago) link
have to admit I'm curious about Blak Ryno Skit, haven't heard from that guy in a little while
― rob, Wednesday, 24 July 2019 17:46 (four years ago) link
uh so this is on Spotify currently I'm listening
― big city slam (Spottie), Friday, 26 July 2019 00:01 (four years ago) link
Those little Dilemma samples in "Pull Up" are perfect.
― Fetchboy, Friday, 26 July 2019 02:20 (four years ago) link
amazing album
― J0rdan S., Friday, 26 July 2019 06:04 (four years ago) link
Yup already listened through a few times
― big city slam (Spottie), Friday, 26 July 2019 06:54 (four years ago) link
What a great album, all the way through. I was ever so slightly underwhelmed by “Pull Up” (relative to the massive singles that came before, that is), but this fulfils every expectation. Everything works, nothing feels forced. All the “international” features notwithstanding, this feels less like an attempt at a crossover album than Outside. Just a pretty much perfect piece of work by an artist in their imperial phase (justifying the album’s title), and more proof that African pop is getting there on its own terms, no concessions given, thank you very much.
― breastcrawl, Friday, 26 July 2019 08:20 (four years ago) link
(Favourite moment right now: the way “Gbona” is teased under Angelique Kidjo’s vocals in the coda of “Different”)
(“On The Low” still the kind of song that could top charts around the world)
even the future song works
― im led by donky (||||||||), Friday, 26 July 2019 11:10 (four years ago) link
This is exactly what I needed. Just one question though: is choking someone during sex considered to be extremely romantic these days? I get that it's a "thing" in prn atm, I'm just not sure I'm ready for it to become a trope in love songs just yet.
― human and working on getting beer (longneck), Friday, 26 July 2019 11:23 (four years ago) link
(As you can hopefully tell, I'm happily married)
― human and working on getting beer (longneck), Friday, 26 July 2019 11:24 (four years ago) link
wonderful album, nearly every track sounds like a hit
― ufo, Friday, 26 July 2019 14:40 (four years ago) link
Love the deep voiced dude who appears towards the end of On The Low. Also this Zlatan guy rules.
Overall this feels like both a more confident and less showy album than Outside, especially given how backloaded all the A-list guest spots are.
― Matt DC, Friday, 26 July 2019 16:10 (four years ago) link
a good jorja smith track... truly burna has the magic touch
― im led by donky (||||||||), Friday, 26 July 2019 16:16 (four years ago) link
Jorja's song on Ezra Collective's album is good as well but yeah.
― Matt DC, Friday, 26 July 2019 16:22 (four years ago) link
i've had this on all day pretty much. sooo good!
― (•̪●) (carne asada), Friday, 26 July 2019 20:36 (four years ago) link
Performing “Anybody” live on Jimmy Kimmel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuMM9vv4Gt0
― breastcrawl, Friday, 26 July 2019 21:52 (four years ago) link
the whole album is excellent, but i still think anybody towers over it. might be my song of the year.
― lion king 2: the gift and the curse (voodoo chili), Friday, 26 July 2019 22:03 (four years ago) link
Also this Zlatan guy rules.
― breastcrawl, Friday, 26 July 2019 23:34 (four years ago) link
This fucking album oh yes :D
― Mr Jolyon Posts Next Door (Noodle Vague), Saturday, 27 July 2019 09:26 (four years ago) link
― rob, Wednesday, July 24, 2019 1:46 PM (five days ago)
this delivered beyond my wildest expectations
I was off the grid when this dropped, but finally listening now and the whole thing is fantastic
― rob, Monday, 29 July 2019 14:44 (four years ago) link
oh god this is brilliant
― american bradass (BradNelson), Monday, 29 July 2019 15:10 (four years ago) link
that kimmel performance is flames
― big city slam (Spottie), Monday, 29 July 2019 19:57 (four years ago) link
incredible album. tho also made me more certain that 'outside' was aiiiiite
― ILX’s bad boy (D-40), Tuesday, 30 July 2019 09:27 (four years ago) link
makes it seem more like a stepping stone yeah.
― big city slam (Spottie), Tuesday, 30 July 2019 16:03 (four years ago) link
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.
― human and working on getting beer (longneck), Tuesday, 30 July 2019 16:24 (four years ago) link
every layer of production in "secret" is exquisite
― american bradass (BradNelson), Tuesday, 30 July 2019 16:40 (four years ago) link
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
― rob, Tuesday, 30 July 2019 16:42 (four years ago) link
If the accounts I’ve seen about Made in Lagos are to be believed, he will. (The endless postponing is getting me nervous tho.)
― breastcrawl, Tuesday, 30 July 2019 16:50 (four years ago) link
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
― j., Wednesday, 31 July 2019 04:57 (four years ago) link
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.
― human and working on getting beer (longneck), Wednesday, 31 July 2019 13:16 (four years ago) link
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.
― rob, Wednesday, 31 July 2019 13:59 (four years ago) link
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.
― human and working on getting beer (longneck), Wednesday, 31 July 2019 14:24 (four years ago) link
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.
― rob, Wednesday, 31 July 2019 14:31 (four years ago) link
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
― breastcrawl, Wednesday, 31 July 2019 14:34 (four years ago) link
Oh yeah didn't mean to imply it was controversial, more just a "listens to Nigerian music once" kinda observation to make
― rob, Wednesday, 31 July 2019 14:36 (four years ago) link
And a review of the album by renowned Nigerian music writer Joey Akan for The FADER.
― breastcrawl, Wednesday, 31 July 2019 14:37 (four years ago) link
xp
well, just a follow-up post really
― breastcrawl, Wednesday, 31 July 2019 14:38 (four years ago) link
...once, twice, three times a Fela...
― breastcrawl, Wednesday, 31 July 2019 14:39 (four years ago) link
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
― rob, Wednesday, 31 July 2019 15:26 (four years ago) link
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".
― rob, Wednesday, 31 July 2019 15:32 (four years ago) link
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.
― human and working on getting beer (longneck), Wednesday, 31 July 2019 16:12 (four years ago) link
You’re both right:
New one for Burna and Future 🚀🚀 https://t.co/rYe7WW1KEs— Dre Skull (@dreskull) July 25, 2019
― breastcrawl, Wednesday, 31 July 2019 16:18 (four years ago) link