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The 15 Best Burna Boy Songs (So Far)
The 15 Best Burna Boy Songs, ranked!
It’s about a decade ago when Nigerian superstar Burna Boy made his debut with the groovy, instant hit record ‘Like to Party’. Burna Boy is a talented, certified hit maker, there’s no doubting.
Burna Boy is one of the key artists responsible for the global recognition the Afrobeats genre has gained today (other key artists are Wizkid and Davido). Since rising to super stardom in 2018 with ‘Ye’, he has never looked back again!
He keeps breaking barriers and putting Nigeria in global music discussions, such as being the first Afrobeats singer to win a Grammy with his own album, being the first African act to sell out the iconic America’s MSG venue, and appearing in Rolling Stone’s 200 Greatest Singers of All Time list. Burna Boy is undoubtedly a legend!
To celebrate this legend, we’ve decided to piece together our 15 Best Burna Boy Songs (So Far).
15. ‘Soke’
Some may argue that this is Burna Boy’s hardest song of all time. Well, they might be right to a certain extent, because ‘Soke’ is a timeless song. But come on, Burna Boy has more, more timeless songs!
14. ‘Won Da Mo’ (feat. D’banj)
Released in 2013, ‘Won Da Mo’ featuring D’banj is a hit anytime. When speaking of Burna Boy’s old classics and fans’ favorites, this song should be mentioned amongst the first five.
13. ‘Like to Party’
From his debut album L.I.F.E, ‘Like to Party’, the album’s lead single, shot Burna Boy to fame. It remains one of the most liked songs from Burna Boy by fans, to date.
12. ‘Pree Me’
‘Pree Me’ is the stand-out track from the Redemption EP Burna Boy released in 2016. Here he shows he is not one to shy away from talking about personal struggles as he cuts across his past shortcomings and feelings of betrayal.
11. ‘Killin Dem’ (feat. Zlatan)
Burna Boy and Nigerian indigenous rappper Zlatan Ibile linked up in 2019 and delivered one of the best Nigerian songs that year. The song is upbeat and full of slangs. Zlatan’s rap verse is one of the highlights of the song.
10. ‘Heaven’s Gate’ (feat. Lily Allen)
‘Heaven’s Gate’ with Lily Allen is from ‘Outside’ album by Burna Boy. It can be argued that this is Burna Boy’s most versatile song to date. The song is enough proof that Burna Boy is on a different level [musically] from his generation.
9. ‘23’
What stands out on this song is the brilliant lyricism. The way Burna Boy put words together is in fact beyond surprising. This is a natural gift. From the chorus, first verse, to the outro, Burna Boy leaves listeners in awe of his rare writing skills. His cadence and vocals also complement the beautiful production of the song.
8. ‘Whiskey’
The uniqueness of Burna Boy’s art is his interest in the problems and challenges of the people. On ‘Whiskey’, from his most recent album ‘Love, Damini’, Burna Boy sings about pollution in Port Harcourt, the city he was born in. Quotable lines from the song are, ‘Because of oil and gas, my city so dark/Pollution make the air turn black/Every man have to stay on guard’.
7. ‘Monsters You Made’ (feat. Chris Martin)
This song is one of Burna Boy’s most emotional offerings to date. The lyrics depict the political climate of Nigeria. In the first verse Burna Boy sings, ‘It’s like the heads of the state/Ain’t comprehending the hate/That the oppressed generate/When they’ve been working like slaves/To get some minimum wage’. Chris Martin of Cold Play also brings his A-list game to create this monster record!
6. ‘Gbona’
‘Gbona’ is an upbeat record Burna Boy made while recording his critically acclaimed album ‘African Giant’ and was produced by Kel P. The production of this song is one of a kind. The you more you hear it, the fresher it sounds to you. It’s one of Burna Boy’s all-time classics!
5. ‘It’s Plenty’
From his most recent album ‘Love, Damini’, ‘It’s Plenty’ is a mood-uplifting song. It carries positive messages and vibes. On ‘It’s Plenty’, Burna Boy sings, ‘For this life I dey, I want to be celebrated/Don’t wanna waste my days/I want to spend them on enjoyment’.
4. ‘Ye’
‘Ye’ is a career- changing song for Burna Boy. The song took his career to a whole different level when it was released in 2018. The story behind the making of the song makes it even more interesting. According to the story, the song was made in a popular night club in Lagos. A club called Quilox. The producer Phantom came to find Burna Boy to jump on the beat, and he did kill the beat in the end!
3. ‘On The Low’
This is one for the girls. ‘On The Low’ is wholly about love. What differentiates it from other love songs he has made is that he sings with his whole heart out to one particular girl named Angelina. To Angelina, Burna Boy wants to be a better guy. Such a beautiful record!
2. ‘Anybody’
Burna Boy goes hard on ‘Anybody’. Most especially, the instrumental is the sweetest recipe of this record, and it’s easy to tell why it’s so: the drums, kicks, and sax remind listeners of Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti, who’s Burna Boy’s biggest musical influence. Shout-out to the producer, Kel P. Quotable lines from Burna Boy are ‘I don charge my energy, I no get time for no enemy’.
1. ‘Last Last’
Burna Boy’s most recent hit is ‘Last Last’, and is a further proof that anything the ‘African Giant’ touches, succeeds.
As of writing, ‘Last Last’ is on its path to becoming Burna Boy’s most successful single to date. Also, lines like ‘I need igbo and shayo/I no fit take your insult o’ are very quotable and are the favorite parts of the song, for many.
What are your favorite Burna Boy songs?
Comment below!
