Burna boy had cracked the international market and the Grammys no longer seemed a tall order.What better way to move than have Diddy co-produce this album.This project promised to be a taller Burna boy going all out for the kill but what quite sadly,what we see on Twice As Tall is an artiste that wipes the smirk off our faces.At perhaps the most crucial point in his career,Burna boy simply didn't turn up.
You know OluwaBurna being out of sorts is an understatement when his most vital attribute is glaringly missing-structured composition.His ability to make every detail come together so well is what has always stood him out from the rest and that quality is largely missing here as quite a number of songs that could have been great turned out stop-start experiences.
The opening and album title track with Senegalese legend,Youssou N'dour best exemplifies Burna's creative waywardness.There was a total lack of synergy between the dour instrumental,Burna boy's lifeless vocals and N'dour's soulful rendition.Alarm Clock badly needed some dexterity in vocal display to spread the sauce to parts other than the 'This Early Morning' chorus and ensure a balance with the heavy instrumentation.
Alarm Clock and 23 were two attempts at re-enacting the Ye global magic and while Alarm Clock has a repetitive catchiness amidst regressing factors, 23 is a pleasant vibe with no real cutting edge.
Different off the African Giant album featuring Angelique Kidjo and Damien Marley was a fabulous socio-conscious effort i believe deserves special praise and Burna goes that route again on Monsters You Made with perhaps a more thought-provoking content.Monsters You Made is quite easily one of the good songs of this album that had the potential to be much more.Coldplay's Chris Martin sets you on a high with a mesmerizing chorus and then Burna jumps at it with a great delivery but then by the time he steps in for the second verse with the very same delivery,the monotonic feel ensures you don't get higher than you already are.
Without an Angelique Kidjo and Damien Marley to fuse width,Burna ought to have utilized Chris Martin a bit more; at the very least get a verse in between.The stop-start factor also robs Time flies featuring Sauti Sol of the ideal effect.Burna does some breath-taking singing and has the swahili chorus sitting pretty on the track but in as much as the Kenyans put up a nice display themselves,they fail to complement each other and leave the listener to revel in a little too much of everything.
As far as combining with his guests go,no song on this album measures up to his collaboration with another duo,legendary American hip hop group Naughty By Nature on a song with that title.The Don Guorgon's vocal ingenuity comes to the fore and is perfectly matched by some effortless golden era rap to give a flawless ride all through.Real Life with Stormzy has to be the worst of his international collaborations as all there is to like is Stormzy on the chorus.
On the Afro front,Comma and Onyeka exemplify the ordinary levels Burna boy's artistry has sunk to.Bebo is a quite presentable effort but ladies and gentlemen, Wettin Dey Sup illustrates class is permanent and that even on the worst days,there is always a hint of that.Burna thumps through his in a way only he can to remind us he is capable of just about anything and why he is so enigmatic we allowed him pick a genre for himself.
Bank On It is made on the same template as Calm Down,the most underrated song of his 2018 classic Outside album which opens with a slow introspection that transits smoothly into an exquisite ballad.Burna's quality is not in doubt,he just has to deploy it to better use.A product's quality ultimately sells it but the way this album was brought forth points to just how less co-ordinated Burna boy has gotten.
When he slayed the Jerusalema remix and got massive props for it,he put out Wonderful on the dance/electronic format to appeal to the international audience.It was left to stand as the sole single even when the reception wasn't encouraging.No Fit Vex, a sublime effort which cryptically references the beef with Davido and preaches harmony is a publicity gold mine that could have been best exploited by making it a second pre-album single.Anticipation would have translated to more pre-orders globally if he had teased the Chris Martin chorus on Monsters You Madewith a part of his verse on social media.
To put it frankly,4 great songs out of 15 and disjointed flashes of brilliance mean Burna Boy's Twice As Tall is not a good album.
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