‘African Giant’ anniversary: Notable milestones achieved by Burna Boy’s album after 5 years

• Burna Boy’s ‘African Giant’ album officially marks five years since its release in 2019
• The fourth studio album of the artiste earned him the self-acclaimed ‘African giant’ title 
• To celebrate its fifth anniversary, TheRadar compiles a list of milestones achieved by Burna Boy’s ‘African Giant’ album 

Derived from Burna Boy’s infamous outburst and self-proclamation, ‘African Giant’, his fourth studio album, has marked five years since its release.

The phrase was reportedly first used by the singer born Damini Ogulu to express his displeasure towards Coachella’s organisers, who were said to have written his name in small letters. This contributed to the inspiration of his album title. 

Via his official X (formerly Twitter) page on July 25, Burna Boy disclosed that his album ‘African Giant’ would be 5 years old.  He wrote, Officially turns 5 tomorrow. Premiere link is live. 

The 19-track album, released on July 26, 2019, under the Spaceship Record label, is a fusion of Afrobeats, Dancehall, Pop and Hip-Hop genres.

About Burna Boy’s ‘African Giant’ album 

The artwork of the album cover was said to be inspired by the Nigerian first 10 naira note, which had the picture of popular Nigerian educationalist Alvan Ikoku. 

Other symbolic elements, such as Burna Boy’s date of birth, initials of his name, and baby pictures with his father and grandfather, signifying their generational gaps, were clearly highlighted on the artwork. 

The 60-minute LP worked with producers like Kel-P, P2J, Chopstix, and GMK, amongst others, to build the body of work. From Gbona, Anybody, On the Low, to Killin Dem, every track on Burna Boy’s 4th studio album had a story to tell in his ‘African Giant’ album. 

In its opening track African Giant, Burna Boy's lyrics portrayed him as the one in the frontline fighting against oppression for the populace. The track Wetin Man Go Do touches on the struggles of the common man in Nigeria.

Named after Nigeria and Africa’s richest man, the song ‘Dangote’ advises the public to hustle and be wealthy because human needs are insatiable. There is also a frown on Nigeria’s state of poverty. 

Other songs on the album include This Side ft. YG, Pull Up, Secret ft. Jeremiah and Serah, Collateral Damage, and Another Story featuring Manifest. 

Overall, ‘African Giant,’ inspired by Fela’s style and sound, is Burna Boy’s attempt to raise awareness for a better Nigeria and Africa at large. 

10 milestones achieved by Burna Boy’s ‘African Giant’ album 

The album was released on July 26, 2019, and since then, it has received mostly positive reviews from critics who particularly described it as ‘cohesive and original.’ As it marks 5 years since its release, it has received numerous nominations and awards. 

TheRadar highlights major milestones Burna Boy achieved with the album ‘African Giant.’ See list below: 

1. ‘African Giant’ won Album of the Year at the 2019 All Africa Music Awards.
2. Notably, it was nominated for Best World Music Album at the 62nd Annual Grammys Awards.
3. The album got 40,000 unit sales to get Gold certification in Canada.
4. In France, it got the Platinum certification for 100,000 unit sales.
5. In 2019, it emerged 12th position in Dutch’s Top 100 album.
6. For UK albums, it was in the 16th position.
7. In a publication by Vice, ‘African Giant’ was the 12th on its 100 Best Albums of 2019.
8. It was 104 on the US Billboard 200.
9. The track Killin Dem featuring Zlatan won Song of the Year at the Soundcity MVP Awards festival. 
10. ‘African Giant’ won the Best World Album by Edison Award.

5 exclusive awards won by Burna Boy in the last 5 years

Nigerian Afrobeats and singer Damini Ogulu, Burna Boy, might not be the most awarded artiste in the industry, but there are exclusive awards and records that set him apart from his peers.

The 33-year-old artiste, who champions Afrofusion, is known for his vocal texture and code-switching between English and indigenous Nigerian languages.