Seeing through Burna Boy’s Different

Burna Boy seems to be living according to the titles of his studio albums: He found ‘L.I.F.E’ in music, ‘Got on a Spaceship’ to try his craft with the ‘Outside’ world, and now, he is the ‘African Giant’.

It is not over-ambition. It is a destination nurtured by versatility. ‘Different’, one of the hit songs off his latest album African Giant, which dropped a few days ago, is a proof to this assertion.

A wholesome collaboration among Burna Boy, Damian Marley, son of reggae legend Bob Marley, and the iconic Beninese singer Angelique Kidjo, ‘Different’ comes as a cross-cultural fusion between West Africa and the West Indies.

It opens with Damian Marley’s reggae toast, announcing the collaboration to the world (without restraint) and audaciously recognising himself as the 'Big Gong', a contrast from his nickname Jr Gong. This flows smoothly with great vocals from Burna Boy who identifies the many premises where inequalities exist in the world. His style once again reinforces the fact the Burna is as good in reggae as he is in Afropop and Afrobeat.

Then, he suddenly goes political, perhaps a subtle reference to his country of origin, Nigeria, and her many political issues:

Every day a different problem
Different life from the government
Different politics, people with different qualities
Different tings dem happening
Different election, sell a different false hope.

‘Different’, is not very different from the kind of themes Burna Boy has been treating in the course of his musical career, which kicked off some eight years ago, but it will go a long way in reinforcing the collaborators’ raw talent in terms of vocal skills. This great attribute is accentuated with the entry of Angelique Kidjo, whose characteristic chants in her native language audibly makes an impact in spite of its incomprehensibility to the English-speaking audience.

But this does not rob so much from the song, as it also evokes a certain sense of attentiveness for a discerning music buff, while opening a new vista to what difference a Rihanna in the place of Kidjo would have made to ‘Different’. Perhaps Burna should start thinking of collaboration in this direction.

Of course, great days are ahead. With five awards already in Burna Boy’s kitty from nominations at the Soundcity MVP Awards Festival and the BET Awards, the coast is clear for many more honours. After all, it's just mid-year!

Artist: Burna Boy
Song: Different
Album: African Giant
Label: Atlantic Records
Year: 2019