There's something distinct about Ademola Adefolahan, Popularly known as Fireboy, perhaps, this is one out of many reasons he's regarded, by many, as the leader of the afrobeat modern generation. His pedantic obsession with words and storytelling always powers his art, combining effusive expression with melody and poetic songwriting into the eardrums — a faultline he’s successfully been fixing in his art.
Fireboy's emergence into the Nigerian Music Industry was like a sudden flash of thunder and lightning across the sky. After months of scoring a hit single with "Jealous" and the wide acceptance became glaring, he went on to release his debut album titled "Laughter, Tears, and Goosebumps".
The album which most music critics tagged as one of the best albums in the past decade, while random music lovers tagged it as one of Nigeria's Classic
The album starts with ‘Change’, where Fireboy makes strong claims along the lines of “Now I'm number one, I'm going global" he's self-aware about his feat in the industry and he won't stop until it's over. In his lyrics, he confirmed he's experiencing change, growth, and unprecedented elevation. He also confirmed the pressures that come with being a superstar, the women in his DMs, and the way he feels embracing the fresh phase of his life.
The emotion in this song is palpable, giving a semblance to "Champion" in his sophomore album.
Fireboy's verse on Bandana is sugar, spice, and everything nice; Asake's hook is sugar, spice, and everything twice. The gaiety of the beat and the delivery of the duo gave the song the energy it deserves. In this track, Fireboy sends a message to those doubting his "Apollo" status: "Music chose me, just know this and know peace";. P-Prime puts in a perfect shift on the album. Synthed pivoted, and twangy strings flowed through the rhythm. Unarguably, a club hit banger on the album.
"Ashawo" is a ballad advocating for hedonism and his desire. A justification song for partners who find it hard with fidelity. Blaming 'Fame and alcohol indulgence' for his perfidiousness. He sang: "No be my fault, na shayo, na all of us be ashawo, if I cheat on you, I'm sorry, and if you cheat on me, no worry".
Laced with guitar ticks and bob beats. Telz's melodic keys make up for lyrics that are a tad repetitive. It's enthralling. The third track, the title track and lead single, "Playboy" is a bop! Fireboy's flow and delivery on this particular song are without flaws. Friday-evening-drive music.
In well-layered braggadocio, Fireboy claims "When I drop you know it's an anthem". He also sends out a lyrical warning for girls harboring too much fondness for him.
He's a playboy, a sybarite, and not ready for the camaraderie and lovey-dovey relationship. Playboy is laced with A+ penmanship, an infectious sound on the album.
On "Adore," this crooner begins with a soft guitar tenor as the intro. It's celebratory, Showering praises and adulations on the love of his life. Adore, which dwells on an attempt to reignite an old flame with a lover, has Euro making an impressive (if not memorable) contribution. The chorus "I can't get you off my mind, and I still adore you" register emotion. Aided by a soft tenor electric guitar and the subtle woodwind instrument injected in between.
Is that Fireboy rapping? The song nods yes. The entry showed us the rap side of the versatile artist.
"Sofri" is pure afrobeat. The soft uptempo beat track is an ode to lust and short trysts. Sofri is a Love letter. It's a Friday-evening song built on lovemaking with the guitar strings adding sauce to the track. Keys and percussion made for some slow dancing, and easy listening. "The ad-libs: "mukulu mukulu mukeke" laced at the intro and the outro sounds perfect. A sultry tune that proves that Fireboy is not shy in writing about his sexual desire.
With "Diana" it's safe to say that Fireboy created magic with Chris Brown and Shenseea as the trio dazzled with brilliant vocals. It's a soft, calm tune. The melody wraps around you like a warm blanket on a cold night.
Fireboy flows perfectly well, chanting Diana in the chorus amidst an enchanting saxophone, laced with Shenseea's Jamaican patois.
"Compromise" featuring his fellow sonorous vocal brother "Rema" is one collaboration we never expected this early. The duo flowed well, and Rema's signature ad-libs of Indian-tinged melody blended nicely. Fireboy takes the safe option of sticking to the boy-meets-girl narrative, albeit in a more somber dimension. The background instrumentation on this song is bright and perfect.
"Timoti" came with Vibe and Energy, and Kel P is known for his mastery of energetic beat production. It's a groovy sound revolving around lewdness, crooned along the lines: "I just want to shayo and vibe" while gleaning to alcohol, music, and revelry.
"Peru" came with a blast amidst an infectious hook and vocals that hit the right notes. A hearty summer bop. A typical Afropop tune: crooned with lyrics that glorify lust and also reiterate the need for a woman’s attention.
Fireboy exudes braggadocio as the paragon of modern generation artists.
Vaunts his greatness and boasts of places he has been: "Won ni wan wammi, wonni wan wami, I'm in San Francisco Jamming" and self-claiming himself as a worldwide superstar, and not the “local champion” that some people posit him to be. And the remix with Ed Sheeran on track 13 is a perfect duet, addictive and sonically pleasing. Ed Sheeran syncs better with his style and flows smoothly on the beat.
Without a single doubt, "Afro Highlife" is a masterpiece. One could say Fireboy embodies Fela's spirit while in the studio. It's a pure Fela Kuti Esque Afrobeat template. This song puts an emblematic seal on Fireboy's self-created sub-genre "Afro Highlife". One of the infectious songs on this album, Fela's queen-like choral voice is enthralling. Laced with bass guitar combined with saxophone to ear-pleasing effect.
"Having Fun" is another testament to Fireboy's versatility, an Afro-Caribbean song. Calypso infused with Reggae- tinged tunes is a sonic masterpiece.
A feel-good song. He celebrates his current high-profile status, as he's listening to his songs on the radio, while basking in the euphoria of his achievements, appreciating God, and just wanting to have fun and enjoy his life to the fullest.
What's a well-compacted colorful album without a perfect closing track picturing the feelings of the artist? "Glory" is a calypso beat filled with bass guitar riffs and Caribbean sounds giving the desired emotional effects.
His entry delivery is smooth. Fireboy plays to his vocal strengths in the mid-tempo; he reminisces on his struggles when he started his musical journey. "When I remember, all the motherfucking lions and pretenders" Fireboy flaunts his trademark legacy-centeredness, his tenacity, and progress over the years while chanting in a triumphant emotion to close the album.
Undoubtedly, Fireboy has achieved a trifecta with this pristine album. It's another world for the versatile artist. Albeit, he struggles on some tracks, especially the features. His cheering and frolics mood got the album moving in high frequency. An impressive project. The Writing, Production, Features, A&R, and much more all come together, and everything flows as it ought to be.
In conclusion, Playboy has Fireboy building on his success, a stamp on his pop and afro-highlife subgenre. Comparing it to LTG (Laughter, Tears, and Goosebumps) and Apollo, "Playboy" lacks the classic nature of the two projects, however, its penmanship remains solid and its effort in creating a new melody stands out.
Do you also think "Playboy Album" is a masterpiece? Is there anything the album lacks? Are the features worth it? Let's hear your thoughts.
