As at the start of 2018, Burna Boy was already known but not yet inevitable; his talent was recognised, acknowledged, debated, but not yet revered. To many people, he was just one of the many talented Nigerian artists, albeit with some flashes of brilliance here and there.

And then on the 26th of January, he dropped Outside.

This was the album that showed exactly what he was capable of, and which moved him from just a dude clawing his way out of the background into one of the biggest musicians of our time: Outside. A true 10/10 body of work, it was his ‘John the Baptist’ project, one might say, paving the way for his own superstardom.

To mark the 8th anniversary of the album, here are 8 reasons Outside is THE Burna album.

1. It Sparked a Movement

The project was so definitive of Burna as an artist that it instantly became more than just an album; it became a beacon and a sort of rallying point for people who identified with him. Both his fanbase and his official band adopted the mpniker The Outsiders ever since.

2. He Took His Power Back From Drake

Few moments capture Burna Boy’s well-know defiant spirit better than what he did with “More Life.” After contributing to Drake’s More Life playlist, reportedly recording up to five songs, only a snippet of the title track made it onto the final project, stuffed into an outro.

A lesser artist might have sulked. Burna Boy responded by reclaiming the song, releasing his own version, and boldly using it as the opening track on Outside. 

3. It Was A True Classic

Strip away all of the lore, and Outside still stands on pure quality. The album earned a 7.7 rating from Pitchfork, received nominations for Best R&B/Pop Album and Album of the Year at The Headies, and was met with strong critical acclaim across multiple platforms, both home and abroad.

More importantly, it shifted the conversation. Once Outside dropped, Burna’s artistry became louder than the noise surrounding his personality. People could argue about the man, but they couldn’t ignore the work.

4. It Proved He Could Play on an International Field

Outside was filled with international collaborations, mostly British, that felt almost scarily natural. It didn’t feel like the usual abeg-let-me-bring-my-sound-to-your-audience hustle of an artist trying to break out internationally with forced collabs. Featuring artists like Lily Allen, Mabel, and J Hus, alongside producers such as Jae5 and Steel Banglez, the album placed Burna comfortably within a global ecosystem.

5. It Proved Afro-Fusion Was Indeed A Thing

From the very beginning of his career, Burna had resisted being boxed into traditional genres like dancehall or pop, insisting that his sound was an Afro flavour fused into pretty much anything. He proved it on this album, with songs giving nods to Reggae, Dancehall, R&B, EDM, and whatever one would describe ‘Streets of Africa’ as, while still being unmistakably Nigerian. Afro-fusion stopped being a theory and became a lived, audible, commercially viable reality.

6. The Unbelievably Good Luck of a Kanye Album

There’s a saying about opportunity meeting preparation, something, something; and Outside benefited from one of the most surreal examples of that. The album dropped shortly before Kanye West released his album Ye, leading people to find Burna’s breakout track instead while searching streaming platforms. 

What could have been a footnote turned into a global moment. The timing (and SEO) amplified the song’s reach, but the music was strong enough to sustain the attention. G.O.O.D Music may have opened the door, but good music kept it open.

7. It Was His Major-Label Debut 

Released under Atlantic Records, Bad Habit, and his own Spaceship Records, Outside marked Burna Boy’s major-label debut. This meant was access to international infrastructure, marketing budgets, and networks that previous releases like L.I.F.E (2013) and On a Spaceship (2015) never had. The album dropped simultaneously across global markets, positioning Burna as an international artist from day one, not just a Nigerian star trying to cross over.

8. It Was The Launchpad For Everything That Came After

Without Outside, there is no African Giant as we know it. No Twice As Tall. No Grammys. No stadium tours fetching him buckets of money.

The album didn’t make Burna Boy an overnight success, but it aligned his talent with his ambition. It was the moment the path became clear to the world, and to Burna himself.