Ten years on and Burna Boy is playing in venues that he had dreamt of.
Ever since the release of debut album Life, the Nigerian Afrobeat singer has grown from a promising talent who performed at clubs to becoming the first African artist to sell out stadium shows in Europe and North America.
Those sold-out concerts at London Stadium and New York’s Citi Field not only places him in a rarefied category of pop stardom, but it also increases the anticipation for the August 24 release of his next album I Told Them.
With a new world tour planned and undoubtedly featuring more stadium gigs, does the Location singer have what it takes to pull off such a mammoth feat regularly?
Here is what The National learnt from Burna Boy’s headline performance in front of 30,000 people at the Big Slap Festival in Malmo, Sweden on Friday.
1. He has mass appeal
A key factor to Burna Boy’s rise is an all-encompassing appeal.
Selling out stadiums often requires a body of work that attracts casual listeners and dedicated fans. Burna Boy’s successful headline performance at the Big Slap Festival shows he has achieved that balance.
In a day of eclectic performances by hip-hop, RnB, pop and EDM acts, his performance was sparkling in its positivity and genre-bending songs.
Whether it’s the euphoric hooks of Wonderful to the grinding Afrobeats groove of Gbona, there is something for everyone to sing and dance to in a Burna Boy show.
2. He has a killer band
Another aspect that distinguishes Burna Boy from arena-performing peers Wizkid and Davido is that he performs with full live accompaniment on stage.
Then again to describe The Outsiders as a mere backing band is a disservice.
At the Big Slap Festival, they totalled a dozen, featuring five backing singers along with a horn and rhythm section.
With no DJ in sight, the group skillfully recreated the colourful melange of West African and Western sounds and styles of Burna Boy tracks.
Better yet, the band also puts on a show of their own.
The Outsiders often take the front of the stage with their instruments – including portable drum sets – and dance away with Burna Boy and the crowd.
More than entertainment, it is these kind of seemingly off-the-cuff moments that make stadium shows special.
3. He is a showman
While there is a fair share of bravado, Burna Boy’s onstage demeanour has an endearing child-like glee.
Both aspects came to light in Malmo in a particularly concerning moment.
During the opening minutes of the show, Burna Boy fell headfirst into one of the spotlights.
Using a towel to dabble the blood away from the gash on his head, bravado mode kicked in as he coolly stated: “I will bleed for my fans".
A few minutes later, his mega-watt smile was back as he danced around the stage and engaging with the crowds.
While his recorded vocals are often a seductive croon, Burna Boy dials it up on stage giving high-energy performances for songs such as Ye and Last Last.
Blending along with his backing vocalist, the concert is full of some awe-inspiring vocal harmonies owing more to gospel music than Afrobeats.
The fact the music was accessible enough that crowds sang along to the lyrics that featured a mix of languages including Nigeria’s Yoruba, Igbo and pidgin English, is the biggest sign that Burna Boy is not done conquering stadiums yet.
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
World Cricket League Division 2
In Windhoek, Namibia - Top two teams qualify for the World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe, which starts on March 4.
UAE fixtures
Thursday February 8, v Kenya; Friday February 9, v Canada; Sunday February 11, v Nepal; Monday February 12, v Oman; Wednesday February 14, v Namibia; Thursday February 15, final
Titanium Escrow profile
Started: December 2016
Founder: Ibrahim Kamalmaz
Based: UAE
Sector: Finance / legal
Size: 3 employees, pre-revenue
Stage: Early stage
Investors: Founder's friends and Family
Brief scores:
Newcastle United 1
Perez 23'
Wolverhampton Rovers 2
Jota 17', Doherty 90' 4
Red cards: Yedlin 57'
Man of the Match: Diogo Jota (Wolves)
Sinopharm vaccine explained
The Sinopharm vaccine was created using techniques that have been around for decades.
“This is an inactivated vaccine. Simply what it means is that the virus is taken, cultured and inactivated," said Dr Nawal Al Kaabi, chair of the UAE's National Covid-19 Clinical Management Committee.
"What is left is a skeleton of the virus so it looks like a virus, but it is not live."
This is then injected into the body.
"The body will recognise it and form antibodies but because it is inactive, we will need more than one dose. The body will not develop immunity with one dose," she said.
"You have to be exposed more than one time to what we call the antigen."
The vaccine should offer protection for at least months, but no one knows how long beyond that.
Dr Al Kaabi said early vaccine volunteers in China were given shots last spring and still have antibodies today.
“Since it is inactivated, it will not last forever," she said.
Sri Lanka v England
First Test, at Galle
England won by 211
Second Test, at Kandy
England won by 57 runs
Third Test, at Colombo
From Nov 23-27
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Generational responses to the pandemic
Devesh Mamtani from Century Financial believes the cash-hoarding tendency of each generation is influenced by what stage of the employment cycle they are in. He offers the following insights:
Baby boomers (those born before 1964): Owing to market uncertainty and the need to survive amid competition, many in this generation are looking for options to hoard more cash and increase their overall savings/investments towards risk-free assets.
Generation X (born between 1965 and 1980): Gen X is currently in its prime working years. With their personal and family finances taking a hit, Generation X is looking at multiple options, including taking out short-term loan facilities with competitive interest rates instead of dipping into their savings account.
Millennials (born between 1981 and 1996): This market situation is giving them a valuable lesson about investing early. Many millennials who had previously not saved or invested are looking to start doing so now.
Cricket World Cup League 2 Fixtures
Saturday March 5, UAE v Oman, ICC Academy (all matches start at 9.30am)
Sunday March 6, Oman v Namibia, ICC Academy
Tuesday March 8, UAE v Namibia, ICC Academy
Wednesday March 9, UAE v Oman, ICC Academy
Friday March 11, Oman v Namibia, Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Saturday March 12, UAE v Namibia, Sharjah Cricket Stadium
UAE squad
Ahmed Raza (captain), Chirag Suri, Muhammad Waseem, CP Rizwan, Vriitya Aravind, Asif Khan, Basil Hameed, Rohan Mustafa, Kashif Daud, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Karthik Meiyappan, Akif Raja, Rahul Bhatia
The specs
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Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
