Outside | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | January 26, 2018 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 44:00 | |||
Language |
| |||
Label |
| |||
Producer |
| |||
Burna Boy chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from Outside | ||||
|
Outside is the third studio album by Nigerian singer Burna Boy. It was released on January 26, 2018, through Spaceship Entertainment, Bad Habit and Atlantic Records. The album is the follow-up to his debut extended play Redemption (2016). Described by the singer as a mixtape, Outside consists mostly of Afrobeats, dancehall, reggae and road rap. It features guest vocals from English musicians J Hus, Lily Allen and Mabel. Outside was supported by six singles: "Rock Your Body", "Streets of Africa", "Koni Baje", "Sekkle Down", "Heaven's Gate" and "Ye". Its production was handled by various producers, including Juls, Leriq, P2J, Jae 5, FRED and Phantom.
In February 2018, Outside debuted at number three on the Billboard Reggae Albums chart. The album received critical acclaim from music critics, who commended its diverse sounds and Burna Boy's versatility. The website Pulse Nigeria and Nigerian Entertainment Today considered Outside to be the best Nigerian album of 2018. Outside won Album of the Year at the 2018 Nigeria Entertainment Awards and was nominated for Best R&B/Pop Album and Album of the Year at The Headies 2019.
Described by Burna Boy as a mixtape, Outside consists mostly of Afrobeats, dancehall, reggae and road rap. [1] [2] The album features guest vocals from English musicians J Hus, Lily Allen and Mabel. Its production was handled by Leriq, Baba Stiltz, P2J, Jae 5, Juls, Chopstix, Steel Banglez, Fred Gibson, Phantom and FTSE. [3] [4] The album's opener, "More Life", was one of five songs recorded for Drake's playlist of the same name, released on March 18, 2017. However, it was only featured on the outro of More Life's track "Get It Together". Burna Boy recorded the album's title track "Outside" on Pete Townshend's studio boat. [2] He revealed that "Ye" was unconsciously recorded after a great night out at a Lagos nightclub. [5] On January 21, 2018, Burna Boy held a private listening session for the album at the WeRe House in Lekki, Nigeria. During the session, he talked about the inspiration behind each track on the album. [6] A few days later, he held a second listening session at the Curtain Hotel in London. [7]
On the house-influenced interlude "More Life", Burna Boy paints a picture of relaxation and in the drum-infused "Ph City Vibration", he pays homage to his hometown. [8] [5] The Jùjú-inspired "Koni Baje" features talking and bongo drums; the song highlights the flexibility of Burna Boy as an artist and has been described as a "tribute to his career and a prayer for himself". [9] The Lily Allen-assisted track "Heaven's Gate" focuses on themes of betrayal and victimhood. [5] In the introspective record "Ye", Burna Boy sings about his drive and ambition. [10] Nigerian record producer Phantom created the beat for "Ye" in less than two hours and layered his vocals on it; the beat features a kick, piano synths and a few snares. A writer for Native magazine said "Ye" is being viewed as a new anthem because it "embraces the anathema of every self-interest seeking seemingly good-natured Nigerian." [11] In the reggaeton-laced "Giddem", Burna Boy alternates between singing for his love interest and showcasing his skills. [8]
The nostalgic track "Streets of Africa" was recorded over a cartoon-sounding trap beat popularized by American rapper Lil Yachty; the song was produced by Leriq and touches upon themes of love and sex. [12] [13] In the dancehall-highlife track "Rock Your Body", Burna Boy sings about his sexual desire to make love to his lover. [8] Pulse Nigeria's Segun Akande described the song as a "mid-tempo hybrid of highlife, dancehall and Afro-fusion melodies." [14] The alternative R&B track "Devil in California" has been described as "thought provoking" because of lyrics like: "It’s like all my life I’ve been knowing something's been missing, devil on my shoulder that’s why I can’t stay sober". [15] In "Calm Down", Burna Boy confesses to using purple drank to numb his pain. [15] The album's closing and title track "Outside" is a cross between dance and pop; it addresses his struggles and victories. [16]
The album's lead single "Rock Your Body" was released on April 28, 2017. [17] The accompanying music video for "Rock Your Body" was directed by Clarence Peters. In it, Burna Boy spots a girl in a club and tries his best to convince her to leave her friends and dance with him. [18] Most of the video's footage was shot in a production studio. Peters implemented the use of "dark lighting and closeted aesthetic" while shooting it. [14] The album's second single "Streets of Africa" was released on November 24. [19] Reviewing for Konbini Channels, Daniel Orubo said Burna Boy "effortlessly alternates between highlighting the joyfulness of being African, bragging about his prowess with the ladies, praising his own musical ability, and warning his haters not to fuck with him." [13]
On December 8, "Koni Baje" was released as the album's third single. [20] The album's fourth single "Sekkle Down" was released on December 11. It was produced by Jae5 and features vocals by UK Afroswing artist J Hus. [21] Burna Boy premiered the track on Zane Lowe's Beats 1 radio show the previous day. [22] Prior to the release of "Sekkle Down", both artists recorded "Good Time", a track from J Hus' debut studio album Common Sense (2017). [22] On January 19, 2018, Burna Boy released the Lily Allen-assisted "Heaven's Gate" as the album's fifth single. [23] The accompanying music video for "Heaven's Gate" was released on the same day. Described as a "16mm filmed family affair", the video features a woman dancing in the kitchen, as well as young girls playing video games. [24] A snippet of "Sekkle Down" is also included in the video. [23]
The album's sixth single "Ye" was released on August 6, 2018, along with its music video. [11] "Ye" saw a 200 percent spike in its streaming numbers after searches for Kanye West's album Ye unintentionally caused listeners to stumbled upon it. [25] Burna Boy thanked Kanye West for the confusion on Twitter. [26] The single peaked at number 31 at the US R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay charts. [27] "Ye" won Song of the Year and Listener's Choice at the 2019 Soundcity MVP Awards Festival. [28] In an email to The Fader magazine, Burna Boy said the video "essentially shows the unrelenting nature of Nigerians". [29]
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
BellaNaija | 8/10 [30] |
One Tribe | [15] |
Pitchfork | 7.7/10 [2] |
TooXclusive | [10] |
Outside received critical acclaim from music critics. Pitchfork writer Claire Lobenfeld praised Burna Boy's versatility and said his kaleidoscopic output on the album makes it "a fine lesson in mixing genres without making mud". [2] One Tribe magazine applauded Burna Boy for experimenting with different sounds, but ended the review saying the LP lacks "a common theme to piece all the songs together". [15] Segun Akande of Pulse Nigeria said Outside is Burna Boy's "most personal project yet" adding it is "a deeply expository look at himself and the fears and influences that have made him such a divisive figure". [8]
Reviewing for OkayAfrica, Mayuyuka Kaunda described the album as "easily digestible" and that Burna Boy "offers some striking observations—experienced by many—and asks us to keep dancing throughout our journey with him." [12] Chicago Reader 's Leor Galil praised the album's songs, adding their "placid percussion, effervescent melodies, and easygoing grooves create the kind of atmosphere that makes the album feel familiar on first listen." [31] Victor Okpala of Nigerian Entertainment Today said that from a sonic standpoint, the album is Burna Boy's "most versatile offering that saw him push far beyond the boundaries of his musical dimensions – balancing speed, depth, and storytelling". [5] Jim Donnett gave the album 4 out of 5 in a review for TooXclusive. [10] Donnett praised the album's diverse sounds saying it "tells more of the realities of the life of an African man than [Wizkid's] Sounds from the Other Side did". [10]
Wilfred Okichie said each song on the album "tells its own story and serves a purpose, leaving no room for waste or excess". Okichie felt the album is the "best thing Burna Boy has done in a long while, maybe his entire career." [1] Mellowviews' writer Mutsinzi Eric said, "Burna Boy’s music is delivered like performance arts, it is marked by a heart-felt expressionism and always masked by a non-chalant [sic] melancholy." [32] A writer for BellaNaija , who goes by the moniker Black Boy, wrote that Outside "bears evidence that Burna Boy remains defiant of the norms of the industry, the lores that trick other artistes to believe that only the pop music makers are relevant in the industry." [30] In a review for Music in Africa, Osareme Edeoghon described the album as being "partly reflective and autobiographical", stating the singer's efforts on the LP match the album's title. [33]
In February 2018, Outside debuted at number three on the Billboard Reggae Albums chart, spending nine weeks on the chart. [34]
The website Pulse Nigeria and Nigerian Entertainment Today considered Outside to be the best Nigerian album of 2018. [35] [36] Outside won Album of the Year at the 2018 Nigeria Entertainment Awards and was nominated for the same award at the 2018 City People Music Awards. [37] [38] Moreover, it was nominated for Best R&B/Pop Album and Album of the Year at The Headies 2019. [39]
Production credits were adapted from Burna Boy's interview with Vice. [3]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "More Life" | Damini Ogulu | Baba Stiltz | 1:32 |
2. | "Ph City Vibration" | Ogulu | I Am Beats | 3:46 |
3. | "Koni Baje" | Ogulu | P2J | 3:23 |
4. | "Sekkle Down" (featuring J Hus) |
| Jae5 | 3:08 |
5. | "Where I'm From" | Ogulu | Steel Banglez | 3:07 |
6. | "Heaven's Gate" (featuring Lily Allen) |
| FRED | 3:22 |
7. | "Ye" | Ogulu | Phantom | 3:51 |
8. | "Giddem" | Ogulu | Chopstix | 3:31 |
9. | "Streets of Africa" | Ogulu | Leriq | 3:30 |
10. | "Rock Your Body" | Ogulu | Juls | 3:41 |
11. | "Devil in California" | Ogulu | P2J | 3:15 |
12. | "Calm Down" | Ogulu | Jae5 | 4:25 |
13. | "Outside" (featuring Mabel) |
| FTSE | 3:38 |
Total length: | 44:00 |
Notes
Chart (2018) | Peak position |
---|---|
US Reggae Albums (Billboard) [34] | 3 |
Chart (2024) | Peak position |
---|---|
Nigerian Albums (TurnTable) [40] | 87 |
Region | Date | Format | Label | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|
Various | January 26, 2018 | CD, Digital download |
| [41] |
Inetimi Alfred Timaya Odon (born 15 August 1980), better known by his stage name Timaya, is a Nigerian singer and songwriter. He is from Odi, Bayelsa state, South-South Nigeria. Timaya is known for combining Nigerian pop with elements of dancehall, hip-hop, and soca, as well as his blend of Afro-Caribbean/Dancehall music. He is the founder of DM Records Limited, which he is also signed to.
Jesse Garba Abaga, known professionally as Jesse Jagz, is a Nigerian rapper, record producer, and songwriter. He signed a record deal with Chocolate City in 2010 and released his debut studio album Jag of All Tradez that same year. He voluntarily exited the Chocolate City deal in 2013 and announced the launch of his independent label, Jagz Nation. Jagz released his second studio album Jagz Nation, Vol. 1: Thy Nation Come in 2013; it included singles such as "Redemption", "Bad Girl", "Sex & Scotch" and "God on the Mic". His third studio album, Jagz Nation, Vol. 2: Royal Niger Company, was released in 2014. He returned to Chocolate City in 2015 but left the label again prior to releasing his fourth studio album Odysseus in 2017. In May 2020, he released a 5-track EP titled Garba.
David Adedeji AdelekeOON, known professionally as Davido, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter and record producer. He is regarded as one of the most important Afrobeats artists of the 21st century, and is credited alongside Burna Boy and Wizkid for popularizing the genre globally.
L.I.F.E is the debut studio album by Nigerian singer Burna Boy. It was released on August 12, 2013, by Aristokrat Records. The album serves as the follow-up to his second mixtape, Burn Identity (2011), and sold 40,000 copies on the first day of its release. Aristokrat Records later sold the album's marketing rights to Uba Pacific for ₦10 million. L.I.F.E was supported by the singles "Like to Party", "Tonight", "Always Love You", "Run My Race" and "Yawa Dey". The album was produced entirely by Leriq and features guest appearances from 2face Idibia, M.I, Timaya, Olamide, Reminisce and Wizkid.
Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu , who is known professionally as Burna Boy, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter and record producer. He rose to stardom in 2012 after releasing "Like to Party", the lead single from his debut studio album L.I.F.E (2013). In 2017, Burna Boy signed with Atlantic Records in the United States to release his third studio album, Outside (2018).
Momodou Lamin Jallow, known professionally as J Hus, is a British rapper and singer who has been credited with pioneering the genre Afroswing. He is currently signed to Black Butter Records. He gained popularity in 2015 following the release of his song "Dem Boy Paigon".
The following is a list of events and releases that have happened or are expected to happen in 2019 in African music.
Nigerian singer Burna Boy has released six studio albums, two mixtapes, two extended plays, and 39 singles.
African Giant is the fourth studio album by Nigerian singer Burna Boy. The album was released on July 26, 2019, by Spaceship Entertainment, Bad Habit, Atlantic Records and Warner Music. The album is a mixture of Afrobeats, Afrobeat, dancehall, pop and hip hop. It was produced primarily by Kel-P, along with production from Benjamz, Dre Skull and Skrillex, among others. The album features guest appearances from Jorja Smith, Jeremih, Damian Marley, Zlatan Ibile, Angelique Kidjo, Serani, M.anifest, YG and Future. It was supported by eight singles, including "On the Low", which won Viewers' Choice at the 2020 Soundcity MVP Awards Festival, "Killin Dem", which won Song of the Year at the 2020 Soundcity MVP Awards Festival, among other awards; and "Anybody", which Burna Boy performed on Jimmy Kimmel Live!.
Afrobeats is an umbrella term to describe popular music from West Africa and the diaspora that initially developed in Nigeria, Ghana, and the UK in the 2000s and 2010s. Afrobeats is less of a style per se, and more of a descriptor for the fusion of sounds flowing majorly out of Nigeria. Genres such as hiplife, jùjú music, highlife and naija beats, among others, were amalgamated under the "Afrobeats" umbrella.
A Good Time is the second studio album by Nigerian singer Davido. It was released on November 22, 2019, through Davido Music Worldwide, RCA Records and Sony Music. The album features guest appearances from Chris Brown, Summer Walker, Gunna, A Boogie wit da Hoodie, Dremo, Peruzzi, Popcaan, Zlatan, Yonda, Wurld and Naira Marley. Its production was handled by Speroach Beatz, Tekno, Shizzi, Kiddominant, P2J, London on da Track, and Fresh VDM, among others. In December 2019, Davido announced a North American tour in support of the album; the tour was scheduled to begin in the winter and end in spring 2020. In March 2020, Davido postponed the tour due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
"Ye" is a song by Nigerian singer Burna Boy. It was released on August 6, 2018, as the sixth single from his third studio album, Outside (2018). The song was produced by Nigerian record producer Phantom. It peaked at number 26 and 31 on Billboard's Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop and R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay charts, respectively. "Ye" won Song of the Year and Listener's Choice at the 2019 Soundcity MVP Awards Festival. It also won Song of the Year and was nominated for Best Pop Single and Best Recording of the Year at The Headies 2019.
Afrikan Sauce is the fourth studio album by Kenyan band Sauti Sol, released on their eponymous record label Sauti Sol Entertainment. Primarily an Afropop and R&B record, Afrikan Sauce marked a departure from the traditional acoustic sound of their previous albums. It features guest appearances from Patoranking, Tiwa Savage, Burna Boy, Vanessa Mdee, Yemi Alade, Khaligraph Jones, Nyashinski, Bebe Cool, Mi Casa, Toofan, Jah Prayzah and C4 Pedro. The album comprises thirteen tracks and was supported by the previously released singles "Melanin", "Girl Next Door", "Afrikan Star", "Short N Sweet" and "Tujiangalie". Afikan Sauce received positive reviews from music critics, who characterized it as a "game changer" and commended it for having "substantial replay value". The album won Album of the Year in Africa at the 2019 All Africa Music Awards.
Steel & Copper is a collaborative extended play by Nigerian singer Burna Boy and American production duo DJDS. The EP comprises four tracks and was released on March 21, 2019, through Spaceship Entertainment, Bad Habit, Atlantic Records and Loma Vista Recordings. It is the follow-up to Burna Boy's third studio album, Outside (2018), and DJDS' fourth studio album, Big Wave More Fire (2018). Steel & Copper blends Burna Boy’s upbeat melodies with DJDS' slinky trap beats.
Bose Ogulu, also known as Mama Burna, is a Nigerian academic, businesswoman and talent manager. She manages her son Burna Boy's musical career.
Osayaba Andrew Ize-Iyamu, better known by his stage name Cruel Santino, is a Nigerian alternative singer-songwriter, rapper and director. He is a member of Monster Boys collective, with music producers Genio Bambino, and GMK. He is signed to Interscope Records, in partnership with Monster Boy, Love Renaissance and Warner Chappell Music. Santino's debut into the music scene was met with critical acclaim when he released his studio album Mandy & The Jungle, introducing the alté fashion, and music, into the mainstream, notably with his track "Rapid Fire".
Richard Olowaranti Mbu Isong, known professionally as P2J is a Nigerian-British producer from London, England. He has produced for high-profile pop artists including Beyoncé, Wizkid, Stormzy, FKA Twigs, Burna Boy, Tems, and Doja Cat, among others.
Bolaji Odojukan, better known by his stage name BOJ is an English-Nigerian singer, songwriter and record producer. He is one-third of the musical group DRB LasGidi with TeeZee and Fresh L, and is known as a pioneer of alté.
Jonathan Kweku Awote-Mensah, professionally known as Jae5 is a British-Ghanaian record producer and mixing engineer from Plaistow, East London. He is a Grammy Award-winning producer and is signed to Black Butter Records.
Ayobami Olaleye professionally known as Phantom is a multi-gold, award-winning Afrobeats record producer, singer, and songwriter. In 2020, he became the third Nigerian Afrobeats producer in history to be certified by Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique (SNEP) after Burna Boy’s "Ye" became a certified gold record in France. The song earned him an award at 2019 Soundcity MVP Awards Festival, in the African Producer of the Year category, with a nomination at The Headies, in the Producer of the Year category.