This Friday (Aug. 25), Burna Boy will bless the masses with his seventh studio LP, I Told Them… As he revealed via social media on Monday (Aug. 21), the project will consist of 15 songs with contributions from 21 Savage, Dave, Seyi Vibez, J. Cole, and Byron Messia.
As Burna explained to the Los Angeles Times, the album’s title is a response to critics who feel that he isn’t on the same level of success seen in the United States. “To this day, there’s many Nigerians who can tell you an American rapper who just started their career, and they’ll say they’re bigger than Burna Boy,” he explained. “They don’t understand it. They’ll say, ‘There’s no way someone who talks like me can even be on the same level as an American artist.'”
Notably, I Told Them… does contain heavy American influences. Its lead single, “Sittin’ On Top Of The World,” sampled Brandy and Ma$e’s 1998 hit, “Top Of The World.” Another recent drop, “Big 7,” came with a matching clip that was filmed in New York City and boasted cameo appearances from hip hop legends like RZA and Busta Rhymes. That isn’t to say that other genres outside of Burna’s signature Afro-fusion formula aren’t present. “Talibans II,” an update of Messia’s No Love standout “Talibans,” is a veritable mix of Caribbean and African influences. Earlier this month, the collaboration marked the “Last Last” talent’s third appearance on the Billboard 200. UPDATE: Check out the full tracklisting for Burna Boy’s I Told Them… below.
I Told Them… tracklist:
- “I Told Them”
- “Normal”
- “On Form”
- “Sittin’ On Top Of The World” with 21 Savage
- “Tested, Approved & Trusted”
- “Cheat On Me” feat. Dave
- “Virgil”
- “Big 7”
- “Dey Play”
- “City Boys”
- “Giza” feat. Seyi Vibez
- “Jewels”
- “If I’m Lying”
- “Thanks” feat. J. Cole
- “Talibans II” with Byron Messia