In 2019, Fireboy welcomed us into his sonic universe of authenticity alongside a fresh breath of solo artistry with the release of his singles, Jealous, What If I Say, and King, which further extended into the release of his first full-fledged studio album, Laughter, Tears, & Goosebumps. LTG exudes soulful exuberance and strikes a clear but immersive element of budding desires, romance, heartbreak, and a vivid Nigerian element, party.
Upon its release, LTG garnered over 6 million Spotify streams just 3 days after its release. Two months later, Fireboy announced that LTG had amassed 100 million streams across all streaming platforms.
LTG as an entity, including singles off the album, also earned Fireboy a total of 10 nominations and 3 awards —Best R&B Album, Most Promising Act of the Year and Listener’s Choice—at different award ceremonies, including The Headies, City People Music Awards, and Soundcity MVP Awards Festival, respectively.
Aside from his adept creativity, these feats undeniably set him on a high pedestal and made him a burgeoning star just at the beginning of his career. Fireboy further proved himself with the release of his sophomore album, Apollo, named after the popular Greek god revered as a poetic and musical symbol, amongst other things. As a body of work, Apollo portrays a deep celebration of life and legacy.
Apollo captures the intricacies of finding oneself, losing oneself, triumphing over life uncertainties, and pining for unending success. Although a tad bit different from the sensuality of LTG, songs like Tattoo off Apollo still portray a profound depiction of sexuality and limn a cavernous bridge into the diverse but singular masterpiece that Apollo is. Fireboy, in an interview, expressed that his major aim for creating Apollo was to paint Afrobeat in a substantial light beyond the beats and vibes that characterise the genre by immersing soul-stirring storytelling and deeply moving lyrics.
When Playboy dropped, it came with a different bang. It exuded a bubbly feel, reinstating Fireboy’s reputation as a master of ingenuity. Playboy popped out a blithe zestfulness, ushering Fireboy in a new light.
As Fireboy’s fourth studio album approaches, here are some things to expect from the album.
The first prediction is unpredictability. Quite ironic, but Fireboy has shown a versatile track record across his 3 albums, each with a distinct pattern and ingenious sonic delivery. LTG was a fusion of soulfulness and romance. Apollo, an artist’s diary of success and hope, and Playboy; a journey to self discovery. There is no doubt that Fireboy is a genius at heart and is full of euphonious surprises.
Another beautiful attribute of Fireboy is his choice of album titles, which are always laced with intentionality and poetic symbols. Starting from Laughter, Tears, & Goosebumps, to Apollo and Playboy, Fireboy continually proves to be a poet as much as an artist.
Speaking of poetry, there might be a guest feature from acclaimed Nigerian poet Adedayo Agarau. A solid fan of Fireboy’s music, Adedayo took to his Twitter page to shoot his shot at the star, requesting to write a poem to open or close Fireboy’s upcoming album, and Fireboy replied, saying that they would have a conversation. As we anticipate the upcoming release, we also anticipate a beautiful collaboration where music meets poetry and merges into a seamless body of work.
It is also important to reiterate Fireboy’s commitment to wielding authentic stories. As the release date for his upcoming project advances, it is safe to expect not just packed musical gems but also an extensive collection of intriguing ascendancy and careful integration of real life experiences. Each of his previous albums all have solid inspirations and influences that impact the final product. For instance, LTG was Fireboy’s attempt at introducing his sound to the world, describing it as “undiluted energy”.
By the time the idea of his second studio album came to him, 9 months after the successful release of LTG, his energy was in fact still pure and sufficient to stamp his foot as one of the most promising acts of modern Afropop with the release of Apollo. Some critics claimed his sophomore album dropped too early, but Fireboy was fearlessly working on his terms and pursuing what he describes as an obsession with legacy. For him, his mission is to be remembered as that artist who sang vastly with zero restrictions and whose music saved and changed lives.
It is not uncommon for artists to experience a creative block, and in Fireboy’s case, a daunting writer’s block overshadowed his creative juices, stunting the smooth development of a new project. His third studio album, Playboy, came alive in this prickly dilemma and directed his journey towards rediscovering himself. He attributes this sanguine experience to the buoyant mood characterising Playboy.
However, despite the rich elements comprising an album, the commercial success of the project is just as important. Fireboy is not a newcomer in the game of making commercially profitable music and has garnered impressive streams across all his projects. LTG hit a milestone of 100 million streams two months into its release and currently has over 250 million streams. Apollo and Playboy have amassed over 350 and 650 million streams, respectively. LTG won The Headies 2020 Best R&B Album, while Apollo won the Album of the Year Award and Best Pop Album alongside the Best R&B Single for Tattoo off Apollo. Fireboy also won an award for The Headies Revelation category and in 2021, his lead single, Peru off Playboy, won The Headies Afrobeat Single (Nigeria).
In 2022, he made history as the first Afrobeat artist to perform at the BET Awards, singing his hit singles— Peru and Playboy— from his third studio album, Playboy.
As the clock ticks for Fireboy’s upcoming album, we frantically look forward to an album filled with solitaire hits, record-breaking gems, electrifying lyricism, rousing rhythms, evocative melodies, reminiscent stories, sonic growth, and most importantly, a luminary performance at building a perennial legacy.
