Twice as Tall
Studio album by
Burna Boy
ReleasedAugust 14, 2020 (2020-08-14)
Recorded2020[1]
Genre
Length52:40
Label
Producer
Burna Boy chronology
African Giant
(2019)		 Twice as Tall
(2020)		 Love, Damini
(2022)
Singles from Twice as Tall
  1. "Wonderful"
    Released: June 26, 2020
  2. "Monsters You Made"
    Released: August 14, 2020
  3. "Real Life"
    Released: August 14, 2020

Twice as Tall is the fifth studio album by Nigerian singer Burna Boy. It was released on August 14, 2020, by Spaceship Entertainment, Bad Habit, Atlantic Records and Warner Music. Recording sessions took place in 2020, with Burna Boy, American singer and songwriter Diddy and Mama Burna Bose Ogulu serving as the record's executive producers. The album is a mixture of Afrobeats, Afrobeat, dancehall, pop and hip hop. It was produced primarily by Telz, along with production from Rexxie, Timbaland and DJDS, among others. The album features guest appearances from Youssou N'Dour, Naughty by Nature, Sauti Sol, Chris Martin and Stormzy. Its lead single is "Wonderful", released on June 26, 2020.

At the 63rd ceremony of the Grammy Awards, Twice as Tall won Best Global Music Album.

Background and recording

Burna Boy recorded songs for Twice as Tall mainly in Ahoada, Nigeria over few months of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.[2] Due to the pandemic, Burna Boy and his co-executive producer Diddy worked together through virtual file transfers and Zoom calls, the latter providing voice-over intros for a few of the songs and musical input. Burna Boy told The New York Times, "I've never picked up a pen and paper and written down a song in my life. It all just comes, like someone is standing there and telling me what to say. It's all according to the spirits. Some of us are put on this earth to do what we do". He said that through the album, he is building a bridge that leads every black person in the world to come together.[3][4] Burna Boy said in a press release that the album is about a period of time in his life, "It's the album about the struggle for freedom. It's the album about life in general, real life, good times, bad times, happy times, sad times, great times".[5][6] The album was produced primarily by Telz, along with production from Rexxie, Timbaland and DJDS, among others. It features guest appearances from Youssou N'Dour, Naughty by Nature, Sauti Sol, Chris Martin and Stormzy.[7]

The album release was accompanied by a comic book The Secret Flame, narrated by Burna Boy's grandfather, Benson Idonije, who managed Afrobeat music pioneer Fela Kuti.[8] The animated comic, follows Burna Boy through a spiritual journey of discovering oneself while highlighting the very moments that brought him to where he is standing tall today.[9][10] Burna Boy released the album artwork on Instagram, depicting him in cartoon form as a titan, striding over modern roads and ancient monuments.[11] He said that the art did justice to exactly what he intended to portray, noting that it reflects his journey through different energies and emotions while recording the album.[12]

Composition

Twice as Tall is an Afrobeats, Afrobeat, dancehall, pop and hip hop album.[13] The album opens with Youssou N'Dour-assisted "Level Up", where Burna Boy revisited his wild recent rise, celebrating his achievements and noted he is not getting so satisfied. Vulture.com writer Justin Curto praised the song, noting that it's better than a victory lap.[14] "Alarm Clock" beat is a contemporary Afro-pop sound in outlook and is heavily influenced by Fela's Afrobeat era in delivery.[15] It features a spoken intro from the executive producer Diddy.[16] On "Way Too Big", Burna Boy is found in a self-confident form, relaying his intention to avoid bad company as subtle violin runs cushion his vocals.[17] On "Bebo" produced by Rexxie, Burna Boy discussed his unwillingness to pretend.[15]

"Wonderful" was produced by Telz and sees Burna Boy expressing excitement for his people and the globalization of their unique sound. It was recorded in Nigerian pidgin and Yoruba.[18] In a review for Pitchfork, Mankaprr Conteh praised the song's production and said "the singer revels in the alchemy of rhythm and hustle. He's mystified by what beats and drums can conjure, the way they spread joy and spark motion from your toes to your scalp".[19] "Onyeka" produced by Telz, is a happy and triumphant tune.[20] In the Naughty by Nature-assisted track "Naughty by Nature", Burna Boy talked about the journey to where he is now, admitting his dislike for politics.[20][15] "Comma" has a danceable beat.[20] The LeriQ-produced track "No Fit Vex" sees Burna Boy dishing out positive twists, saying he is now a man who is less interested in his petulant side.[20][15] "23", features a piano-assisted instrumental. Burna Boy sees himself similar to Basketball legend Michael Jordan.[15] "Time Flies" interpolates Marc Anthony's "I Need You". It features vocals from Sauti Sol with a spoken outro from Burna Boy's mother Bose Ogulu.[15][21]

The politically charged Reggae-Fusion track "Monsters you Made" explores the historical injustices on an oppressed race that's convinced enough should be enough, addressing African and African-American experiences with prejudice, touching on subjects like slavery and miseducation.[3][15][20][22] The song is full of pain, anger and plenty of defiances, featuring vocals from Chris Martin with a spoken outro from Ghanaian author and poet Ama Ata Aidoo.[21][23] In "Wetin Dey Sup", Burna Boy speaks against gun violence and police brutality.[15] The Stormzy-assisted track "Real Life" contains a sample of T-Pain's "I'm Sprung" and sees Stormzy crooning in true R&B style, with the aid of a vocoder.[15][23] In "Bank On It", Burna Boy asks for forgiveness if he fumbles and for protection from his enemies. He is aided by his belief in a supreme being and deferred to faith in the face of a potential detraction. The song climaxed with a choir harmonizing the main hook.[20][15]

Promotion

On February 21, 2020, Burna Boy announced he would embark on the Twice as Tall World tour beginning on May 7, 2020 in Atlanta, Georgia and ending on August 30, 2020 in Oberhausen, Germany. The tour ended up not happening due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[24]

Singles

"Wonderful" was released as the album's lead single on June 26, 2020.[25][26] The accompanying music video was released on June 30, 2020 and was directed by Director K; it depicts old African ways. In it, Burna Boy is seen lying asleep on a palm frond, somewhere in the land of warriors, kings and queens, he is then woken from his drowse by a gorilla and ambushed by some warriors dressed in traditional attire, before turning into a celebration where both the warriors and the singer began dancing. Burna Boy is dressed as a warrior and hailed a champion. Upon the release of the song, Burna Boy said "This song is about the wonders of seeing the impact of my music on people's lives as they shared their joy, pain and pleasure with me while I toured the world".[27][28]

"Monsters You Made" was released as the album's second single on August 28, 2020.[29] The accompanying music video, shows the theme of how systematic racism and inequality leads to trauma and violence.[29]

"Real Life" was released as the album's third single on October 2, 2020.[30] The accompanying music video, which was released on the same day, was directed by Meji Aladi and featured British rapper Stormzy.[30] The video depicts the realities of crime.[30]

Reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?6.9/10[31]
Metacritic79/100[32]
Review scores
SourceRating
The Guardian[23]
The Daily Telegraph[16]
Naijagig[33]
NME[17]
Pitchfork8.0/10[34]
Pulse Nigeria8.7/10[15]
Tom Hull – on the WebB+ ((2-star Honorable Mention)(2-star Honorable Mention))[35]
NativeMag8.2/10[36]

Twice as Tall received generally favorable reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, this release received an average score of 79 based on 6 reviews.[32] Pitchfork's Mankaprr Conteh granted the album 8.0 out of 10 rating, describing it as massive and noting that "society could use a hero, a godsend".[34] Motolani Alake of Pulse Nigeria assigned a rating of 8.7 out of 10, praising the singer's work ethic and stating that the album is amazing. Alake said the album is a "commendable and exceptional third straight album from the singer", while noting that "everything that made African Giant great is on Twice as Tall".[15] Nicolas-Tyrell Scott of NME rated the album three stars out of five, characterizing it "as a satisfying sequel". He further said: "It's admirable to see him balance his signature sound with hints of exploration in collaborations such as "Monsters You Made", all while remaining true to his mother tongue".[17] Writing for Meaww, Jenifer Gonsalves said the album is "a solid album from Burna Boy, one that establishes him as an artiste capable of blending sounds, styles and cultures to create music that encompasses a better world".[22]

Lloyd Bradley of The Guardian awarded the album four stars out of five, noting that "the album positions African music in the 21st century by using contemporary sounds for traditional melodies and rhythms".[23] The Daily Telegraph's Pritchard Will gave the album four stars out of five, saying "if Twice as Tall is the singer's bid for global superstardom, then the music is polished to befit his aims".[16] In a review for Mail & Guardian, Kwanele Sosibo stated that "there's lots of sheen and polish on the album, with each song, it seems, staking its own fresh claim on the sonic palette that constitutes Afrobeats".[37] Kunle Adesokan of Naijagig awarded the album a rating of 4.5 out of 5, noting that "if anything, Burna Boy has grown twice as tall from the man and artiste that recorded the African Giant album. Kunle added: "by using contemporary sounds for traditional melodies and drawing on various musical styles while staying true to African sounds, Burna Boy defines what modern African music should be."[38]

Accolades

Accolades for Twice as Tall
Publication Accolade Rank
Bay Eight Eight Albums You Need To Hear Before The Year Ends
N/A[39]
Bounce Radio Live The 50 Best African Albums of 2020
Consequence of Sound Top 50 Albums of 2020
The Fader The 50 Best Albums of 2020
Genius The 50 Best Albums of 2020
British GQ The 24 Best Albums of 2020
The Gryphon The Gryphon's favourite albums of 2020
N/A[45]
HipHopDX Best R&B Albums of 2020
The Line of Best Fit Top 50 Albums of 2020
Native Mag The 20 Best Albums of 2020
The New York Times Top 10 Albums of 2020
NJ.com The 50 Albums that saved us from 2020
NME The 50 Best Albums of 2020
Pan African Music Best Albums of 2020
N/A[52]
Passion of the Weiss The POW Best Albums of 2020
Pitchfork The 50 Best Albums of 2020
Uproxx Top 50 Albums of 2020
Vice The 100 Best Albums of 2020
Vogue India The 20 Best Albums of 2020

Track listing

Twice as Tall track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Level Up" (featuring Youssou N'Dour)
4:28
2."Alarm Clock"Ogulu
2:12
3."Way Too Big"Ogulu
3:20
4."Bebo"OguluRexxie2:44
5."Wonderful"OguluTelz3:33
6."Onyeka"OguluTelz3:22
7."Naughty by Nature" (featuring Naughty by Nature)
3:34
8."Comma"OguluRexxie2:50
9."No Fit Vex"OguluLeriQ3:41
10."23"OguluSkread4:05
11."Time Flies" (featuring Sauti Sol)
3:44
12."Monsters You Made" (featuring Chris Martin)
LeriQ3:37
13."Wetin Dey Sup"Ogulu
  • Timbaland
  • Telz
3:37
14."Real Life" (featuring Stormzy)
  • Mario Winans
  • Telz
3:16
15."Bank On It"OguluJAE54:36
Total length:52:40

Sample credits

Personnel

  • Hassan Jokolo – co-production (11)

Charts

Chart performance for Twice as Tall
Chart (2020-2022) Peak
positions
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[58] 69
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[59] 22
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[60] 22
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[61] 19
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[62] 10
French Albums (SNEP)[63] 29
Irish Albums (OCC)[64] 31
Nigeria Albums (TurnTable)[65] 25
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[66] 34
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[67] 47
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[68] 12
UK Albums (OCC)[69] 11
US Billboard 200[70] 54
US World Albums (Billboard)[71] 1

Release history

Release history for Twice as Tall
Region Date Format Label Ref
Various August 14, 2020

References

  1. ↑ Elder, Sajae (August 10, 2020). "Burna Boy shares details about new album, Twice as Tall". The Fader. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  2. ↑ Pometsey, Olive (August 17, 2020). "How Burna Boy went global". GQ. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  3. 1 2 Pareles, Jon (August 5, 2020). "Burna Boy Has the Whole World Listening". The New York Times. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  4. ↑ Moorwood, Victoria (August 11, 2020). "Burna Boy shares tracklist for Diddy-executive produced 'Twice As Tall'". Revolt. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  5. ↑ Cowen, Trace William (August 14, 2020). "Burna Boy Drops New Album 'Twice as Tall' f/ Stormzy, Chris Martin, and More". Complex. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  6. ↑ Caamaño, Clara. "Disfruta aquí de 'Twice As Tall', el nuevo disco del gran Burna Boy". The Medizine (in Spanish). Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  7. ↑ Augoye, Jayne (August 14, 2020). "Burna Boy releases fifth album 'Twice as Tall'". Premium Times. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  8. ↑ Murphy, Chris (August 13, 2020). "LISTEN Burna Boy Releases New Album Twice As Tall Comic". Vulture.com. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  9. ↑ Ayana, Rashed (August 15, 2020). "Burna Boy Officially Releases Fifth Studio Album, 'Twice As Tall'". Respect. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  10. ↑ Akinyoade, Akinwale (August 10, 2020). "Burna Boy To Release Comic Book "The Secret Flame" Alongsde [sic] "Twice As Tall" Album". The Guardian Newspaper. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  11. ↑ Muggs, Joe (August 14, 2020). "Album: Burna Boy - Twice as Tall". The Arts Desk. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  12. ↑ "Burna Boy drops his Twice As Tall Album today, speaks on album art cover". TVC News. August 14, 2020. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  13. ↑ Motolani, Alake (August 14, 2020). "Burna Boy releases new album, 'Twice As Tall'". Pulse Nigeria. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  14. ↑ Curto, Justin (August 14, 2020). "Song Review: Burna Boy 'Level Up' Off 'Twice as Tall'". Vulture.com. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Motolani, Alake (August 16, 2020). "On 'Twice As Tall,' Burna Boy reawakens and gets personal on a quest for the Grammys [Album Review]". Pulse Nigeria. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  16. 1 2 3 Will, Pritchard (August 14, 2020). "Burna Boy, Twice as Tall, review: Western music's gatekeepers better make some space". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  17. 1 2 3 Nicolas-Tyrell, Scott. "Burna Boy – 'Twice As Tall' album review". NME. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  18. ↑ Powell, Jon (July 1, 2020). "Burna Boy is "Wonderful" in new visual". Revolt. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  19. ↑ Conteh, Mankaprr (June 26, 2020). ""Wonderful" by Burna Boy Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  20. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "REVIEW: Burna Boy is indeed 'Twice as Tall' in Bold new Album". Nate's Crest. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  21. 1 2 Akan, Akan (August 16, 2020). "Burna Boy – 'Twice As Tall' review: Africa's giant takes a longer stride". Substack. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  22. 1 2 Gonsalves, Jenifer. "'Twice as Tall' Review: Burna Boy blends joy, hope and unity with powerful social messages on latest release". Meaww. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  23. 1 2 3 4 Bradley, Lloyd (August 14, 2020). "Burna Boy: Twice as Tall review, fun and fury from Nigerian pop polymath". The Guardian. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  24. ↑ Ochoa, John (February 23, 2020). "Burna Boy Announces 2020 Twice As Tall World Tour". Grammy.com. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  25. ↑ "African Giant Burna Boy Is Back With New Tune "Wonderful"". Wonderland Magazine. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  26. ↑ Leight, Elias (June 25, 2020). "Burna Boy Previews 'Twice as Tall' Album With New Single 'Wonderful'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  27. ↑ Minsker, Evans (June 30, 2020). "Watch Burna Boy's New Video for "Wonderful"". Pitchfork. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  28. ↑ "Burna Boy - "Wonderful Review", This Burna Still Portraying Himself As The 'True Warrior' Africans Should Celebrate". tooXclusive. July 19, 2020. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  29. 1 2 "Watch Burna Boy's music video for "Monsters You Made" featuring Chris Martin". The Fader. August 28, 2020.
  30. 1 2 3 "Burna Boy connects with Stormzy on "Real Life"". The Fader. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
  31. ↑ "AnyDecentMusic? Review". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved December 6, 2020.
  32. 1 2 "Metacritic Review". Metacritic. Retrieved December 6, 2020.
  33. ↑ Adesokan, Kunle (September 29, 2020). "'Twice As Tall' Album Review – Burna Boy Brings The World to Africa". Naijagig. Retrieved September 29, 2020.
  34. 1 2 Conteh, Mankaprr (August 19, 2020). "Burna Boy: Twice as Tall Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
  35. ↑ Hull, Tom (September 8, 2020). "Music Week". Tom Hull – on the Web. Retrieved September 9, 2020.
  36. ↑ "Review: Burna Boy's Twice As Tall". The NATIVE. Retrieved May 26, 2022.
  37. ↑ Sosibo, Kwanele (August 18, 2020). "Review: On 'Twice as Tall', Burna Boy bends Afrobeats to his will". Mail & Guardian. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  38. ↑ Adesokan, Kunle (September 29, 2020). "'Twice As Tall' Album Review – Burna Boy Brings The World to Africa". Naijagig. Retrieved September 29, 2020.
  39. ↑ "Eight Albums You Need To Hear Before The Year Ends". bayeight.com. Retrieved December 24, 2020.
  40. ↑ "The 50 Best African Albums of 2020". bounceradiolive.com. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
  41. ↑ "Top 50 Albums of 2020". Consequence of Sound. December 2, 2020. Retrieved December 6, 2020.
  42. ↑ "The 50 Best Albums of 2020". thefader.com. Retrieved December 15, 2020.
  43. ↑ "The Genius Community's Best Albums of 2020". genius.com. Retrieved December 21, 2020.
  44. ↑ "Best albums of 2020 that made the year more tolerable". gq-magazine.co.uk. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
  45. ↑ "The Gryphon's favourite albums of 2020". thegryphon.co.uk. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
  46. ↑ "Best R&B Albums of 2020". HipHopDX.com. Retrieved December 22, 2020.
  47. ↑ "The Best Albums of 2020". The Line of Best Fit. December 3, 2020. Retrieved December 6, 2020.
  48. ↑ "The 20 Best Albums of 2020". thenativemag.com. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
  49. ↑ Pareles, Jon (December 2, 2020). "Best Albums of 2020". The New York Times. Retrieved December 6, 2020.
  50. ↑ "The 50 albums that saved us from2020". nj.com. Retrieved December 20, 2020.
  51. ↑ "The 50 Best Albums of 2020". nme.com. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
  52. ↑ "Best Albums of 2020". Retrieved December 29, 2020.
  53. ↑ "The POW Best Albums of 2020". passionweiss.com. Retrieved December 29, 2020.
  54. ↑ Reynolds, Simon (December 8, 2020). "The 50 Best Albums of 2020". Pitchfork. Retrieved December 9, 2020.
  55. ↑ "The Best Albums of 2020". Uproxx. December 1, 2020. Retrieved December 6, 2020.
  56. ↑ "The 100 Best Albums of 2020". vice.com. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
  57. ↑ "The 20 best albums of 2020". vogue.in. Retrieved December 20, 2020.
  58. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Burna Boy – Twice as Tall" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
  59. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Burna Boy – Twice as Tall" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved August 21, 2020.
  60. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Burna Boy – Twice as Tall" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved August 21, 2020.
  61. ↑ "Burna Boy Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 25, 2020.
  62. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Burna Boy – Twice as Tall" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved August 21, 2020.
  63. ↑ "Top Albums (Week 34, 2020)" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
  64. ↑ "Official Irish Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 21, 2020.
  65. ↑ "Nigeria Top 50 Albums". www.turntablecharts.com. TurnTable. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
  66. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Burna Boy – Twice as Tall". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  67. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Burna Boy – Twice as Tall". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 21, 2020.
  68. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Burna Boy – Twice as Tall". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  69. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 21, 2020.
  70. ↑ "Burna Boy Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved August 25, 2020.
  71. ↑ "Burna Boy Chart History (World Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 25, 2020.
  72. ↑ "Twice As Tall by Burna Boy". Apple Music. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  73. ↑ "Twice As Tall [Explicit] by Burna Boy". Retrieved August 18, 2020.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.