Why I Bought the LP

I listened to this album on my phone before I bought it on vinyl- I admit I wanted to make sure I liked it. I remember listening to it once last year and liking it, but then I forgot about it. Listening to it this week was jarring because I’d spent the day listening to great songwriters and guitarists from last millennium, and this sound is completely different. I made myself run it back two maybe three times, and it gelled in my mind and I was like oh- I’m definitely buying this on vinyl. Another thing is digital music sounds subtly angular to me, and I wanted to hear how this sound would translate via analog format. It’s usually smoother and feels more organic. I was only disappointed by the fact that I couldn’t turn it up louder. And some of the songs should be longer, because they’re so good.

Burna Boy came across my radar last year with this big single Sittin’ On Top Of The World (which breathes new life into Brandy’s 1998 hit Top Of The World by sampling) but my motivation for buying this record was the song If I’m Lying. It’s really special to me because it’s so poetic, and it provokes oranges, pinks and purples (synesthesia). I’m usually very drawn to these colors. The musicality of the entire project is really dope too. It’s self described as Afro fusion and it blends live instruments and modern electronic hip hop production with African rhythmic sensibilities. It just makes me want to move my body, which is essential. It feels light enough to have fun with but it has real substance too. Like yes we are enlightened, but not weighed down. 

Why Burna Boy?

This being the only Burna Boy project I’ve listened to, I get the sense that he’s a true artist and a well developed person. Someone who is educated and creative. He seems like he has made efforts to mature emotionally, which is something we don’t always get with seasoned artists. When folks start off with mixtapes and EPs and are just trying to break, there’s one perception of them. But after 10 years you can start to get a sense of who a person is, and a lot of these folks don’t age well, unfortunately. I’m going to write a piece on when to separate the artist from the music, because it’s a conversation we need to have and a reality I’m facing as an adult music consumer. My favorite artists from my teenage years are not the same as they once were…

But that’s a topic for another time. Since it’s been on my mind, I felt really moved to buy Burna’s album. Another conversation we can have is what motivates someone to buy a physical piece of music? For me, I think I’m looking for the whole package: real artistry, a sense of a higher calling, great songwriting aka lyrics, and of course- beautiful music. I just recently bought Aaliyah’s I Care 4 U compilation and Nirvana’s Nevermind on CD because I don’t wanna live without them. When the music means something to me, it’s worth owning and spending time with. Music becomes woven into the fabric of our being, and it feels good to move with intentionality. Burna Boy’s I Told Them… feels very intentional, like taking ownership of a true identity, and taking flight on the wings of artistry. It’s also just a fun record. I hope you get to enjoy it as much as I do. 💋