I Told Them Review: Burna blots album brilliance with needless narcissism
Burna's sixth studio album should have been noteworthy for its Hip Hop exploration but denigrating an entire genre for attention spoils whatever positives.
The release of pre-album singles such as Sittin’ on Top of the World and Big 7 had music critics and fans fearful that Burna Boy might have stopped making music for his African home base and gone off to the West completely.
But on the basis of his sixth studio album, I Told Them, those fears were far-fetched. Instead, listeners get a typical Afro-fusion album, one that heavily fused Hip Hop with Afrobeats. In fact, Burna Boy spoke Yoruba language on the album more than on any other project in his discography and brought on a lot of rap and attendant sonic flair.
The appearances of 21 Savage, J Cole and Dave are enough evidence that Burna went the Hip Hop highway for this album and it is an adventurous move, given that he has conquered the Afrobeats space and there’s nothing more anyone would want him to do more - considering he’s won a Grammy, sold out stadia, arenas and bagged many ‘first to dos’.
And considering the fact that the singer born Damini Ogulu is a global star, it makes sense to make an album that deliberately caters to certain audiences and gives him a stronger foothold in some climes.
In isolation, the Hip Hop colouration and experimentation make the album a brilliant adventure but the narcissism and deliberate genre sabotage from Burna Boy have overwhelmed whatever talking points one might want to raise concerning this album.
Wizkid FC is unarguably the staunchest and most vocal fanbase in the whole of Africa while the most followed Nigerian celebrity on social media is Davido. The streets with their undying loyalty belong to Olamide Baddoo while only a few can rival Don Jazzy when it comes to music legacy and philanthropy.
It would then appear that Burna Boy, for all his talent and achievements, does not sit at the zenith of adoration and popularity. He is regarded by many to be the most talented artiste of his generation and his awards, humongous streaming numbers and numerous unprecedented certifications attest to that claim. But by Burna’s standards, he is not worshipped enough.
The album opener, I Told Them, had lines like “I told them I’m a genius, I had to show them what the meaning is… Told 'em I'm the master, they told me I wouldn't prosper…” A profession like this is commonplace as virtually every artiste had their doubt moments and periods not many - including their own family - believed in their lofty dreams until they happened.
But with the penultimate track, Thanks, on which he featured Jermaine Cole, he went too far. He snaps, “is this the motherf*cking thanks I get for making my people proud every chance I get?” It appears that every form of criticism and accountability was taken the wrong way by Odogwu.
For an artiste who had a homecoming concert organised in his honour after he won a Grammy, who was given landed property by the governor of his state of origin (Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers), who has been conferred with a national honour (MFR) and has constantly been extolled by the media for his achievements, none of these seems enough.
He wants to be an untouchable saint who can never err or be criticised. Much has been said about the denigrating interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe on which he said Afrobeats and its singers have no substance and real-life experience.
How do you invalidate the experience of your industry colleagues just because their music doesn’t appeal to you or you want to stand out? Many successful artistes have had it rougher in life than Burna but they don’t trample on others just to make a point.
Jay Z is a billionaire musician who takes every opportunity to talk about how he rose from the absolute dirt but still talks about other rappers with respect.
Under different circumstances, I Told Them is an album notable for its cocktail of Hip Hop and Afrobeats, telling tales of success against the odds and hedonistic celebration. However, Burna’s burning narcissism is a big, needless blot.