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Grammy Awards 2021: Does Burna Boy stand a chance this time?
The year 2019 was great a year for Nigerian Superstar Burna Boy. With the release of his fourth studio album, “African Giant” followed by well attended concerts all over the world, the “Odogwu” was poised for all the many accolades he could receive in the music world.
“The album which features guest appearances from Jorja Smith, Jeremih, Damian Marley and Future, among others, received generally favourable reviews from music critics, who called it cohesive and praised Burna Boy for not diluting his sound. It was included in the year-end lists issued by several publications, including Billboard, Complex and Pitchfork.”
See below weekly and year-end rankings of “African Giant” album.
Weekly charts
Chart (2019) | Peak position |
---|---|
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) | 58 |
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) | 98 |
Canadian Albums (Billboard) | 33 |
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) | 12 |
French Albums (SNEP) | 54 |
Irish Albums (IRMA) | 80 |
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) | 64 |
UK Albums (OCC) | 16 |
US Billboard 200 | 104 |
Year-end rankings
Publication | Accolade | Rank | |
---|---|---|---|
Complex | The Best Albums of 2019 | 13 | |
Billboard | The 50 Best Albums of 2019 | 14 | |
Pitchfork | The 50 Best Albums of 2019 | 26 | |
Vice | The 100 Best Albums of 2019 | 12 | |
The 100 Best Albums of the 2010s | 63 | ||
Rolling Stone | The 50 Best Albums of 2019 | 46 | |
The Atlantic | The 18 Best Albums of 2019 | — |
|
It was therefore not a surprise at all when “African Giant was nominated in the ‘Best World Music Album’ category at the 2020 Grammy Awards together with Altin Gün, Bokanté & Metropole Orkest, Nathalie Joachim With Spektral Quartet and Angelique Kidjo.
Despite receiving formidable reviews, doing well on music charts and winning some major awards, Burna Boy lost out on the ultimate Grammy Awards.
While receiving the Grammy award for the best world album on January 27, 2020, Angelique Kidjo dedicated the award to Burna Boy and stated that indeed, Burna Boy is the future of African music.
“Four years ago, on the stage, I was telling you that the new generation of artistes coming from Africa are going to take you by storm. And the time has come. This is for Burna Boy. Burna Boy is among those young musicians that come from Africa that is changing the way that our continent is perceived and the way that African music has been the bedrock of every music,” she said during her acceptance speech at the award show.
After loosing out on the one thing that would have crowned all of his hard work, Burna Boy revealed that he “felt totally sick” but was however poised to work “Twice as tall.”
“Sick. Totally sick,” he stated. “My musical Mother @angeliquekidjo told me everything I needed to understand about the Grammys. So now I’m “Twice as Tall” (that’s the name of my next Album by the way dropping in July by the grace of the most High),” he wrote in a tweet.
Indeed, the African Giant worked twice as hard and released his fifth studio album, “Twice as Tall”on August 14, 2020, this time, gathering the talents of Youssou N’Dour, Naughty by Nature, Sauti Sol, Chris Martin and Stormzy.
Executive produced by American singer and songwriter Diddy, with generally favourable reviews from music critics as well, “Twice as Tall” set out to take great positions on some music charts.
See chart performance for Twice as Tall below:
Chart (2020) | Peak position |
---|---|
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) | 69 |
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) | 22 |
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) | 22 |
Canadian Albums (Billboard) | 19 |
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) | 10 |
French Albums (SNEP) | 29 |
Irish Albums (OCC) | 31 |
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) | 47 |
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) | 12 |
UK Albums (OCC) | 11 |
US Billboard 200 | 54 |
The pandemic has brought everything to a halt, which has stalled momentum with Twice as Tall. While it is doing amazing on charts, a world tour, as he did with “African Giant,” would have cemented its position.
This year at the Grammys, Burna Boy faces competition from Antibalas, Bebel Gilberto, Anoushka Shankar and Tinariwen.
“Twice as Tall firmly establishes Burna’s political stance and like the album cover, a hero poised for greatness.
But will a “heroic” album get him a Grammy win when a dazzling crossover moment with African Giant didn’t?
We’ll find out on January 31, 2021.
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Davido Inks Partnership with UnitedMasters For His Nine+ Records Venture
Making yet another major power move, three-time GRAMMY® Award-nominated Nigerian global superstar and Afrobeats pioneer Davido has inked a deal with UnitedMasters for his recently launched label Nine+ Records.
In this groundbreaking collaboration, Davido will spearhead artist development, A&R, and behind-the-scenes curation, nurturing a pioneering lineup of artists across the continent under Nine+ Records. United by a shared vision, the teams will work together to introduce and foster talent, amplifying Davido’s influence and extending his reach even further. This partnership marks a pivotal moment in shaping the future of African and world music.
Together, the teams will collaborate closely in order to not only introduce, but cultivate career talent. It only expands Davido’s influence and reach.
Read Also: Davido gifts fan $50k to payoff student loans
Of today’s announcement Davido said, “I couldn’t be more proud to partner with Steve and the team at United Masters, this announcement represents an exciting new chapter for developing and established artists around the world.”
Steve Stoute, Founder and CEO of UnitedMasters states, “Over the last 2 years, we’ve proven our commitment to Africa investing in artists, education, and technology. Today, we are doubling down. With this new venture with Davido & the launch of Nine Plus Records, we reinforce our mission in becoming a bridge for artists on the continent. Together we’ll identify & develop new artists while supporting them with brand and synch opportunities.”
Nine+ Records will be announcing more artists and partners in the future.
Last night, Davido just sold out one of the most iconic venues in the world, headlining Madison Square Garden in New York City. He ignited the stage with what will be remembered as a historic set, bringing Afrobeats to the Big Apple in the biggest way possible. In advance of the show, he extensively spoke to Billboard who praised how “Performing in New York has also become a special ritual” for him.
This news also arrives on the heels of various major company announcements for UnitedMasters. The company locked down a high-profile alliance with SymphonyOS and Groover. Plus, it hosted its annual “A Celebration of Independence” GRAMMY® Concert at the Palladium in Hollywood, CA. The show boasted an all-star lineup, including headliner Davido, Uncle Waffles, Tokischa, Donavan’s Yard, and NLE Choppa. Of the latter, The Source wrote, “This marked the first time UnitedMasters featured international acts, solidifying its impact and representation within the global independent artist movement.”
Stay tuned for a whole lot more soon
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