“Back to life, back to reality, back to the here and now, yeah”—we’ll be humming this all week, thanks to Burna Boy’s brand-new single, “Update”. The African Giant just dropped this fresh track, sampling Soul II Soul’s 1989 classic “Back to Life”, and it’s got the perfect fusion of nostalgia and groove.

The music scene on the continent has been full of exciting moments this week. Tems performed at Formula 1’s special launch event at The O2 Arena in London, Ayra Starr made history as the first woman in 16 years to win Best African Music Act at the MOBO Awards, and Tyla is on the cover of British Vogue. Now, Burna Boy has joined the mix with a brand-new banger—what more can we say?

The music video is just as energetic, with Burna Boy showing off his dance moves, having fun with the dancers, and fully embracing the rhythm of this new track.

Watch the music video below

Rapper and singer Phyno has just released his fifth studio album, “Full Time Job,” following up on his previous projects, “Something To Live For” (2021), “Deal With It” (2019), “The Playmaker” (2016) and his debut studio album “No Guts No Glory” (2014).

Before the album’s release, Phyno teased fans with “Time of My Life,” featuring British rapper ArrDee. Now, with “Full Time Job,” he fully embraces his role as a “cultural flag-bearer and elder statesman,” blending indigenous sounds with global influences.

The 15-track album features a stellar lineup of artists, including Cheque, Fave, Burna Boy, Johnny Drille, Chip, ArDee, and UK collective NSG. Phyno masterfully merges Igbo lyricism with modern sounds, moving between the choral elegance of “Nwoke Esike,” the highlife charm of “Men Don Show Face,” and the amapiano-infused “Back Outside.” He also touches on R&B with “Deep” and delivers folksy soul on “Sweet Karma.”

Sream the album below:

https://embed.music.apple.com/ng/album/full-time-job/1769348135

Grammy-winning Nigerian singer, Damini Ogulu, popularly known as Burna Boy, has surprised his fans by announcing his seventh studio album.

The singer shocked his fans on Monday morning by announcing that he is releasing a new album at midnight without prior notice.

He, however, did not share the album cover or title.

“Album dropping 12am,” Burna Boy wrote via X.

His surprise announcement has generated buzz among fans, who are eagerly anticipating the album

Grammy-winning singer, Damini Ogulu, aka Burna Boy, has tied Tems as the Nigerian artiste with the second most certified singles in RIAA history (4 each).

He achieved the feat following the Gold certification of his collaborative hit with British Grime star, Dave, ‘Location’ by the Recording Industry Association of America, RIAA, for the sale of 500,000 units in the country.

Burna Boy previously had three certified songs in the United States; ‘Last Last’ (Platinum), ‘Ye’ (Gold), and ‘On The Low’ (Gold).

Wizkid remains the most certified Nigerian artist in the U.S. with seven certified singles.

Meanwhile, American rapper J.Cole earned his first-ever diamond certified single as his 2019 smash hit ‘Middle Child’ joins the RIAA diamond league for selling 10 million units.

“J.Cole earns his first ever @RIAA Diamond single with ‘Middle Child’,” music monitoring platform, Chart Data tweeted Thursday.

The concert set for July 26, 2024, will be streamed live on Burna Boy’s YouTube channel, allowing fans worldwide to join the festivities.

Head of Music at YouTube in Africa, Addy Awofisayo in a post said; “We are thrilled to present Burna Boy on YouTube Music Nights, celebrating his 5th anniversary of the groundbreaking album, African Giant.”

Burna Boy expressed his excitement in a post on his official page: “Celebrating the 5th anniversary of ‘African Giant’ with a special performance in London, supported by YouTube Music, has been an incredible experience.

“This album holds a special place in my heart as it represents a pivotal moment in my career and a powerful statement of African pride.”

2Baba, who stated this while reacting to a video of Burna Boy performing his hit song ‘Last Last’ at a festival in Europe, noted that his statement was from a place of inspiration.

He added that Burna Boy’s global stardom was “all a dream.”

He wrote, “Burna [Boy] is in the Top 5 music artists in the world right now. I say this from an inspirational place, it was all a dream.”

Burna Boy recently became the first African artiste to sell out the London Stadium twice last month.

At his sold-out show at Koko Camden in London, he also received a Brit plaque as the first African singer to earn 2 billion streams in the United Kingdom.

Famous Nigerian singer Divine Ikubor, aka Rema, has said that it’s insulting for anyone to say he’s not on the same level as Wizkid, Davido and Burna Boy.

The singer stated this while addressing the backlash that trailed his controversial tweet; “No more Big 3 there’s now a Big 4” in his new song ‘Hehehe,’ which was released via Mavin Global Holdings on Monday morning.

Burna Boy, Wizkid and Davido are widely regarded as the biggest Nigerian/Afrobeats artists in the world and are jointly referred to as the “Big 3.”

But Rema has been insisting that he is now on the Afrobeats megastar list, making it a “Big 4.”

He sings: “No more big 3, there’s now a big 4. People go para but what for? Dem go say I don’t deserve it but that is an insult.”

Every summer, the UK comes alive with the Glastonbury Festival, a five-day extravaganza of contemporary performing arts. From dance and comedy to theatre, circus, and cabaret, the festival offers something for everyone. Leading artists grace the stages, with established headliners complemented by a mix of shows on smaller platforms. This year, Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset played host to the festival from June 26th to 30th.

2024 marked the 40th anniversary of Fela Kuti’s legendary performance with his band Egypt 80 on Glastonbury’s Pyramid Stage. This history-making feat, achieved in 1984, solidified him as the second African artist to headline the event.

This year, the legacy continued with a powerful Nigerian presence. Saturday saw Ayra Starr thrill the audience with hit songs like “Sability,” while Femi and Made Kuti, son and grandson of Fela, brought their signature fusion of Afrobeat, funk, jazz, and highlife to the Pyramid Stage.

Femi Kuti is no stranger to Glastonbury. He previously performed in 1984 alongside his father and returned in 2005 and 2010 with his son Made. This year, the duo delivered a dynamic set and joined the rock band Coldplay for a collaborative rendition of “Arabesque,” featuring additional vocals by Elyanna.

Burna Boy, another returning artist, built upon his 2022 performance with a show-stopping set on the Pyramid Stage. Kicking off with an acapella rendition of “It’s Plenty,” he transitioned into his hit track “Ye” before closing with the crowd favourite “Last Last.” This performance came on the heels of his London Stadium concert as part of the “I Told Them Tour.” Burna Boy also joined the British rapper Little Simz and Coldplay to unveil their unreleased collaboration “We Pray.”

Ayra Starr and Tems performed on the Pyramid and Other Stage respectively. Ayra Starr mesmerised the audience with a setlist while Tems delivered a rendition of “Love Me Jeje” from her debut album, “Born In The Wild.”

Watch their performances below:

Tems

Coldplay, Femi and Made Kuti

Ayra Starr

Burna Boy

Besides Fela Kuti, who blazed the trail in 1984, other Nigerian artists like Tems, Burna Boy, Wizkid, Femi Kuti, and Made Kuti have graced the Glastonbury stage.

Wizkid in 2023

Watch Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 perform “Bad Man Lighter” at Glastonbury 2022

Burna Boy in 2022

Nigerian singer, Damini Ogulu, popularly known as Burna Boy, has officially surpassed one billion streams in the United Kingdom.

The ‘African Giant’ crooner was presented with a BRIT plaque at his sold-out show at the London Stadium on Saturday night, in recognition of the feat.

He now joins his compatriot, Wizkid as the only African artistes to earn over a billion streams in the United Kingdom.

Burna Boy also holds the record of the highest-peaking African album on the UK chart, with his sixth studio album ‘Love, Damini’ topping the chart in July 2022.

Following Saturday’s sold-out show, Burna Boy became the first African artiste to sell out the 80,000-capacity London Stadium twice.

Nigerian music powerhouse Burna Boy is back with a surprising sonic shift on his latest single, “Higher.” Marking his first solo release of 2024, the track departs from his usual high-octane energy, venturing into a more reflective and emotionally raw space.

Listen: