On Love, Damini, Burna Boy Asks If He Can Have Love and Save the World, Too

The post On Love, Damini, Burna Boy Asks If He Can Have Love and Save the World, Too appeared first on Consequence.

Birthdays are weird funhouse mirrors. Depending on the person, or sometimes the time of day, the reflection looking back at them can either elate or petrify. And, in some cases, there’s a spooky clown staring back with dead eyes and a big red nose. Having just turned 31 on July 2nd, Burna Boy has released his sixth album, Love, Damini; as the follow-up to Twice as Tall (the biggest album of his career), it carries heavy expectations.

In a Billboard interview leading up to the release, Burna said turning 31 without any kids means things are “going good and going bad” all at once. “You reflect and then get as lit as possible. Then you sleep and wake up and reflect again,” he explained. “I’m reflecting on everything.” So, to recap, Love, Damini not only has massive expectations because of its predecessor, but also crystalizes a significant milestone in Burna’s life as a human, let alone as an artist. No pressure, right?

Luckily for Burna Boy, Love, Damini delivers like an 80-pound baby. The Afrobeats album gets into the soul with Burna’s typical flair, but the insights are deeper. Burna wrestles with his desires, sins, triumphs, and treasures while entering the next phase of his life. And like most dope things in life, it starts with an African hymn. On the opening track “Glory,” the beautiful voices of the South African choral group Ladysmith Black Mambazo repeatedly chant, “This is my story,” segueing into the very European Happy Birthday song, which most of us know by heart.

Blending African traditions and music with European sensibilities is a metaphor for the album. Most notably, on the Ed Sheeran-assisted “For My Hand,” Burna brings Ed into his world rather than the other way around. The two craft a love song centered around universal truths about emotions and relationships like faithfulness, tenderness, vulnerability, and acceptance. Simple lines like “Take me as I am” are made up of five relatable words, but carry a lot more weight as our internal odometers turn.

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Burna’s newfound wisdom shows up multiple times on the album, though not all as it relates to romance. The album’s title track finds him singing acapella mostly about regrets with lyrics like, “Things that I hardly say/ How you been momma, how’s your day/ I should talk to my granddaddy more before it’s too late/ Listen more to things that Ronnie says.” The pain is palpable as he belts about dead friends and relatives who never got his final goodbyes.

Fitting for a man thinking of his legacy at this point in his life, he questions whether all the sacrifices to build said legacy were worth the pain. That sentiment reads false for some artists in every genre, but Burna’s authenticity is key to his success, even with beats designed for dance floors worldwide that disguise the lyrics’ deeper meanings.

That said, Love, Damini isn’t 19 songs of Burna screaming, “Woe is me!” Seriously, this is still a birthday celebration, something Burna rarely forgets. “Whiskey” is about… well, you guessed it. The soulful song evokes reggae in rhythm, sound, and flow. It espouses the drink’s benefits for partying and forgetting the ills outside the window. “Kilometere” is just boastful brags, while “Toni-Ann Singh” simultaneously finds Burna playing the role of Prince Charming and reinforcing the ethos of “it ain’t trickin’ if you got it” with the assistance of Popcaan.

Meanwhile, “It’s Plenty” is an anthem for anyone who wants to enjoy the fruits of living the good life and receive their flowers now rather than later. Of course, through Burna’s eyes, it’s more like the great life. Even while consumed with understanding how his past affects his future, Burna is well aware of his blessings. Which, yeah, is the point of a birthday.

Burna’s always looked beyond himself. After all, African Giant was his clarion call for an African revolution. He understands his effect on the world and his place within a larger youth culture doing its best to uproot outdated systems. Success widened Burna’s gaze rather than narrowing his vision. In his elder worldview, taking care of the world he knows is still important; one might say it’s even more important. But settling a distraught and explosive love life is just as paramount for the 31-year-old. “Last Last,” which samples Toni Braxton’s “He Wasn’t Man Enough,” laments the one that got away because they were never reading the same book, much less on the same page.

The ones that got away is another ever-present theme on Love, Damini, which makes a lot of sense when putting that title under a microscope. Those are the words we use to sign letters — specifically, letters addressed to close personal friends. Love, Damini is less Burna Boy and more Damini Ogulu. The man behind the name has wants beyond the trappings associated with people who win Grammys and work with Diddy. This album is only possible from someone on the other side of 30.

As a consequence, Love, Damini isn’t as political or aggressive as his last outing. Burna, a man consumed with the plight of his people, finally looks inward. He offers himself the same amount of help that he provides to the rest of the world. It’s as if Batman finally took time away from “the mission” for a bit of self-care. And you know what? There’s nothing wrong with that, especially as that biological clock keeps ticking.

Essential Tracks: “Love, Damini,” “Whiskey,” “It’s Plenty”

Love, Damini Artwork:

Burna Boy Love Damini artwork

On Love, Damini, Burna Boy Asks If He Can Have Love and Save the World, TooMarcus Shorter

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