Burna Boy has been on the scene for over a decade now, and right from the start, he has given us a bucketful of bangers. Love him or hate him, nobody can deny that over the course of his career, he has produced some of the country’s biggest hits. But, for some reason, there are some gems in his discography which we haven’t given the love they deserve. For some, it might be because the songs were released before Burna fully got on your radar, and for others, possibly because they didn’t exactly fit into the Afrobeats banger mould. Whatever the reason, I’m here to change that (or at least, point y’all in the right direction). These are 15 Burna tracks that have been criminally underrated:
15. Freedom Freestyle:
If you thought Last Last was the first time Burna had us feeling guilty for enjoying his heartbreak, you’d be wrong. Freedom Freestyle is raw and emotional, with impeccable storytelling. This song puts us inside the mind of a Burna that’s fresh out of his legal woes, giving us insights into his fear, discomfort and parents’ disappointment while still being a sonic 10/10.
14. My Money, My Baby:
This Afrobeat (without the ‘s’) gem is from the soundtrack of the 2019 movie Queen & Slim. It highlights a part of Burna that we know exists, but we don’t see often enough. We owe this song more than the dust we paid it, tbh.
13. Rockstar:
Like many of the other songs on this list, Rockstar has a laid-back type of vibe. It doesn’t have the loud, up-tempo sound as a lot of your faves, but it doesn’t stop you from revelling in the “I’ve made it” feeling—another 10/10.
12. Wombolombo:
If there’s one thing Uncle Damini will do, it’s sample brilliantly. With his spin on the classic by Angelique Kidjo (who would later become a collaborator), this is an early Burna jewel from his Aristokrat days that showed a glimpse of the artist he would grow into.
11. Chase:
This is technically a DJ Jimmy Jatt song, but it belongs on this list. It’s an instant mood booster. Each time I rediscover this song, I play it so much that I imagine Burna crawling out of my device to beg for water and Tom Tom for his throat.
10. Toni-Ann Singh (ft Popcaan):
Hands down one of the best songs on the Love, Damini album. There’s just something about it; it deserves to be a lot bigger than it is.
9. Dirty Secrets:
On Dirty Secrets, Burna reminds us that he’s an actual singer, not just a performer. He did his big one on this track.
8. Calm Down:
Continuing the ‘Burna dey sing fire’ thread, this song is such a vibe! It brings to mind a dark, smoky night soundtracked by his raspy vocals. Jae-5’s production on this is also chef’s kiss.
7. City Vibration + Where I’m From:
This one’s a twofer. Two amazing songs, about the same city, on the same album, viewed through two different lenses with such different vibes? It hurts me that we don’t acknowledge them more often.
6. Heaven’s Gate (ft Lily Allen):
Every time this song is spoken about, it’s with a positive tone. The problem is that it’s not spoken about nearly enough. It’s been 7 years now, and there’s still nobody who can do what Burna comfortably did on this song. It’s so good that you have to restart it a few times before you get to the end. The Lily Allen feature was an added layer of perfection.
5. Wickedest Love (ft LOS):
Another jam by little baby Burna. His vocals on this are stupendous. From this song, we should’ve known that he’d be lethal on the hook of any rap song.
This is another song that sets Burna apart from the crowd. It doesn’t fit in any box: not exactly R&B, Afrobeats, Dancehall or even Afro-Fusion. All we know is that it’s a great song.
A song titled Naughty by Nature featuring Naughty by Nature sampling a Naughty by Nature track? It could’ve been corny if it wasn’t pulled off so beautifully. Whenever you hear it, you can just tell Burna was excited to work on it, which in turn makes you excited. This is one of the best songs off the Grammy-winning Twice as Tall, but I’ll admit it mostly appeals to a certain type of fan.
2. Giddem:
This song is a masterpiece that deserves the attention y’all gave Ye instead, and that’s a hill I’m willing to die on. It has everything, but it remains underappreciated, and that hurts my feelings (and probably Burna’s too).
1. Alarm Clock:
Alarm Clock is underrated by the artist himself, because why would he make a song that’s arguably one of the best things to ever come out of his mouth an interlude? It’s woefully short, especially as half of it is taken up by a speech from He Who Shall Not Be Named. What’s more, we have never gotten to hear it live, as it’s only ever on his setlist as an intermission to allow him to change outfits. It’s painful.
