The day is finally before us! Love, Damini, the sixth studio album by African superstar, Burna Boy, hits streaming platforms across the globe. With 19 tracks, 9 featured acts and 1 hour of playtime, Burna Boy delivers an ecstatic rollercoaster ride of feelings on predominantly Afrobeats production.
The featured artistes on Love, Damini made sure to match Burna Boy’s energy both lyrically and emotionally (as the particular song demands). J Hus who’s been MIA since January 2020 is seen on track 3 Cloak & Dagger diving into the violent state of his neighbourhood and why he is always armed to keep himself protected always; Victony is rather joyous as he praises the varying different builds of the female body, in particular, the big ass on Different Size; American R&B stars, Blxst and Kehlani voice the deep side to being in a relationship and what it takes to make it work on Solid; Jamaica’s highly revered Popcaan sings about his love for women who can burst it down on the dance floor keeping his verse short and sweet on Toni-Ann Singh; J Balvin brings the Spanish flavour to the flavourful Rollercoaster; Khalid’s inspiring chorus validates everyone’s Wild Dreams, encouraging them to stay grounded and persevere in making sure those dreams are achieved. The only featured act that appears twice on the album is Ladysmith Black Mambazo at the beginning (Glory) and the end (Love, Damini) vocalising her Africanism beautifully in lyrics on both songs. Ed Sheeran is not forgotten for the part he played in making For My Hand.
One recurring theme in Love, Damini is vulnerability. Burma Boy did well not to mask his emotions under the guise of bouncy beats but he shows just how he feels without being overly dramatic on different songs like How Bad Could It Be (fears and anxieties), Glory (loss), Common Person (imperfection), Last Last (heartbreak and pain) and Love, Damini (life and death).