REVIEW | Defiant triumph: Burna Boy's I Told Them is a carefully curated musical ensemble

Track listing: I Told Them, Normal, On Form, Sittin' on Top of the World, Tested, Approved & Trusted, Cheat on Me, Virgil, Big 7, Dey Play, City Boys, Giza, 12 Jewels, If I'm Lying, Thanks, Talibans II

I Told Them… is the seventh studio album by Nigerian singer Burna Boy, released on 25 August 2023. From the title, you can already tell that the album has a defiant ring to it. I Told Them… is a carefully curated musical ensemble that portrays elements of pride, triumph, and believing in yourself. It shows how multifaceted the Nigerian singer is.

The title track kicks off the album with an inspirational note. The album sets a clear message that the artist believed in himself before he made a name for himself, while nobody else believed in his capabilities.

"I told them I'm a genius, I had to show them what the meaning is," the artist boasts that his hard work was not in vain, showing that he remained his biggest supporter even when people did not believe in him. He made a promise to prove himself better than they thought him to be – and he did – and he does not miss the opportunity to have his 'I told you so moment'.

In the second song, Normal, he goes on to sing about how people should do what pleases them and what they think would be best for themselves, without paying attention to what people say because people will talk regardless of your actions, whether good or bad.

The artist explores a variety of themes on the album, some of which are desire, self-assurance and confidence. This is noted in the song On Form, which suggests him having a desire to stay true to himself. He explores what he has learnt from his previous life experiences and says that nothing can tire him or bring him down anymore and he is now ready to face everything that comes his way – "Finally, I’m on form".

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Burna Boy is known for his charisma and impactful lyrics. He explores these elements of himself in this album in a different style than he has in his previous albums. His melodies are usually upbeat, but this album is a little bit more relaxed. The album explores his musical range as well, featuring elements of reggae, Afrobeats, hip hop and R&B.

With features from GZA, 21 Savage, Dave, Seyi Vibez, RZA, J. Cole and Byron Messia, the artist makes it clear that he has cemented himself on the global stage featuring artists from the USA, UK, and Africa.

Towards the end of the album on Thanks, the artist accuses people from his home country of being ungrateful for the work he has done in improving the country's image. He says, "Is this the thanks I get?" in retaliation to criticisms that he has received from his fans. His response implies he is bitter because of the nerve people have to criticise him after everything he has done in creating a name for Nigeria. His rebuttal is that he will continue doing what he does best regardless of the hate that he may receive.

Overall, the album is a pleasant musical ensemble to listen to with powerful messages embedded. Apart from the shots he makes towards his fellow Nigerians, the album itself is beautiful and inspirational. It is definitely worth a listen.