Fireboy DML, the Nigerian singer, has delivered his fourth studio album, ‘Adedamola’. The ‘Peru’ hitmaker released the project in the early hours of Thursday. The 14-track album consists of songs like ‘Iseoluwa’, ‘Call Me’, ‘Ecstasy’, ‘Hell and Back’, ‘Letting Go’, ‘Back n Forth’, ‘Ready’, and ‘Wande’s Bop’. Others are ‘Change your Life‘, ‘Obaa Sima’, ‘Need me’, ‘Yawa’, ‘Every Day’, and ‘Jon’s Interlude’. In ‘Adedamola’, the music star teamed up with music heavyweights like Lagbaja, Seun Kuti, Lojay, DJ Spinall, and US singer Jon Batiste.
Born Adedamola Adefolahan, Fireboy rose to fame following the release of ‘Jealous’, his 2019 single. The singer got signed to YBNL, the record label owned by Olamide, in 2018. In 2019, Fireboy released his debut album ‘Laughter, Tears & Goosebumps’. His other projects are ‘Apollo’ (2020), and ‘Playboy’ (2022).
He has since then established a name for himself in the Nigerian music industry. He has also bagged a plethora of nominations and awards for his craft. Fireboy became the first African artiste to perform on the main stage at the 2022 BET awards ceremony.
He won ‘Listener’s Choice’ and was nominated for ‘Song of the Year’ for ‘Jealous’ at the 2020 Soundcity MVP Awards Festival.
In 2021, he won the African Fan’s Favourite category at the All Africa Music Awards.
Fireboy also won ‘Best Afrobeat Single’ for his hit track ‘Peru’ at the 2022 Headies.
I won’t lie, I’ve doubted Fireboy DML a lot. His last two albums didn’t connect with me as I wanted them to, which messed with my love for him. A big fan of his writing ability and approach to stories, I felt hurt by him.
I felt like he sold me dreams. I felt like he played with my feelings, and hooked me with his first album knowing fully well he wasn’t going to do anything like that anytime soon.
But his fourth studio album, Adedamola has put a finger on the soft spot I once had for him.
A highly talented artist, Fireboy has struggled to connect for a while. His new personality did not match with the person people embraced on Laughter Tears and Goosebumps.
Girls found a lover, and boys found someone to express their feelings in poetry. Art. It’s why his Playboy persona struggled to stay in the hearts of many, because home is where the heart is, and we found a home in LTG.
Adedamola opens with Iseoluwa, a song full of thanksgiving and praise to Jah Jehovah, a song full of life and love, with highlights of gratitude and appreciation here and there. One of the best album openers I have heard in a while, it opens the floor for an interesting album.
Adedamola opens with Iseoluwa, a song full of thanksgiving and praise to Jah Jehovah, a song full of life and love, with highlights of gratitude and appreciation here and there. One of the best album openers I have heard in a while, it opens the floor for an interesting album.
Call Me provides reassurance. Relief for those of us looking for someone we felt we lost. Reassurance for those who know Fireboy for who we met him as and that the person we connected with on Laughter, Tears, and Goosebumps is still inside there, somewhere. He’s not lost, he’s not gone. Our folklore genius is back to telling us about his experiences with women. A step-infused instrumental gives Fireboy the perfect ground to tell his lover to call him anytime. Reassurance to his lover, reassurance to the fans. In what sounds like sunshine, he makes it clear that he intends to be here forever.
Ecstasy is heavily influenced by the global pop sound, and I love it. It sounds like a record TheWeeknd would ring Fireboy up and ask for a remix. Whatever realm he went into to find the flows, pockets and pen he expressed from 1:14 to 1:45, he should die there. Impeccable is how he navigates this ship of Ecstasy, and Seun Kuti is the perfect spotter for his sniper on this record.
Hell and Back is my favourite record. At this point, I have to talk about the production of the album. Genius are the efforts of the A&Rs, producers and all the people involved in this. Genius is Fireboy for writing this song. From this point onwards, this is the song I will play when someone asks me to put them to Fireboy, and that’s all the words I have concerning this song, really. Shout out to ‘Omotola’ though, I feel you, I do.
Letting Go is one of my favourite collaborations from the next-gen. Fireboy sacrificing pride for musical perfection by allowing Lojay to open the song is a lesson I will teach my children. It’s also easy to see the inspiration behind the project from this point. We’re here to see Adedamola, his life and his women. Back home, and damn, his life is filled and dominated by some toxic women. Shout out to Godomarr also, great guy.
Back and Forth with Lagbaja is a historical move. I also did not know Lagbaja had these flows and melody-bending abilities in him. I wish he cared enough to make a comeback, it would be one for the books, because how do you enter a song like that?
At this point, I’m smiling, and I’ll tell you why. It dawns on me that Fireboy isn’t speaking to the fans at all on the album so far. He’s talking directly to some people, some women. It feels like an “Oya now no worry you don do your own, I’ll respond on radio” moment. Like a “let’s talk, but these people will hear what we are saying” moment. Do I love it? Absolutely. Serve me a second dose of the album.
Wande’s Bop tells you it’s time to dance even from the title, and calling it a bop and not a song is perfect. Again, shout out to Fireboy and his team. The Ashimapeyin sample is the most beautiful sample this year, and I’ll back this chat up anywhere. Don’t argue with me, just play Ashimapeyin by Wande Coal then Wande’s Bop by Fireboy. I’ll see you later. Definitely in my top three for sure.
Change Your Life changed my life, literally. It’s also proof that up-tempo is here to stay. Gbedu! In a sane environment, this is arguably the best Afrobeats record out now, and it’s proof that Damola sabi. I’m betting on the record to change his life. Semz Bond, you will forever be great.
I rushed to play this album. I really needed it to connect. I gave the album little thought before now and had really low expectations. I wasn’t interested, and I won’t lie. Indifferent was my mood. When the album dropped, I felt an urge to listen to it. I wanted it to connect.
This raised my expectations obviously, as I would want more than the regular to finally be sold again. Iseoluwa sold me, stupendously, and it was only up from there. For the first time, I do not mind the heavy influence of the rest of the world on an Afrobeats artist because it was done right, and he still brought it back home.
This is global superstar material. This is music, and this is the creative I fell in love with. Hell and Back, Wande’s Bop and Change Your Life are my favourite tracks.
I take up a public stance to defend this album with my soul. I take back every slander, and I stand on business from this point onwards. I believe this is one of the best albums to drop this year, in a year where every serious artist is dropping an album.
“Every single part of me went into this album. It’s so personal and feels nostalgic, like a call to home. That’s why it’s titled ‘Adedamola’. I’m excited to share it with the world.
With “Adedamola,” I’m poised to make an even more significant impact on the global music scene. My unique sound, a blend of Afrobeats, R&B, and pop influences, has widespread appeal and sets the stage for a groundbreaking release that will resonate with listeners of all ages and backgrounds”.
He didn’t lie, or disappoint.
If you felt the same way about Fireboy before this album, please listen to Adedamola. This is who he is.
This is the vulnerable lover boy skilled at expressing his innermost feelings.
This is Adedamola.
