What the record is and where it came from
Twice as Tall is Burna Boy’s fifth studio album, released on 14 August 2020. It was executive produced by Burna Boy, Diddy, and Bose Ogulu. It was recorded mainly in Ahoada, Nigeria during the 2020 pandemic.
How it sounds, and how it was made
The album was recorded mainly in Ahoada, Nigeria during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Telz was the primary producer. Rexxie produced ‘Bebo’. Timbaland and DJDS contributed production. Diddy provided spoken intros, including on ‘Alarm Clock’. ‘Wonderful’ and ‘Onyeka’ were produced by Telz and recorded in Nigerian pidgin and Yoruba. The ‘Alarm Clock’ beat is described as a contemporary Afro-pop sound with heavy influence from Fela’s Afrobeat era in delivery.
What lands
The Grammy Award for Best Global Music Album at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards lands. Debuting at number one on the Billboard World Albums Chart lands. The spoken intro from Diddy on ‘Alarm Clock’ lands as a defined production choice. ‘Bebo’ lands as a statement of authenticity. ‘Wonderful’, in Nigerian pidgin and Yoruba, lands as a linguistic and cultural anchor.
What does not
It does not foreground live drum kits, orchestral arrangements, or analog tape saturation. It does not use field recordings from Ahoada. It does not feature guest rappers or singers outside the credited producers’ contributions. It does not include lyrics in English only.
The ideas inside it
It establishes Burna Boy’s desire for authenticity, excitement for his people, and the globalization of their unique sound. It frames his stature as elevated — ‘Twice as Tall’ — through executive partnership with Diddy and his mother, and through language choice: Nigerian pidgin and Yoruba ground the record locally while reaching outward.
Who should hear it, and who should not
People who follow Afro-pop’s global expansion should hear it. People tracking how pandemic constraints shaped vocal and production choices should hear it. People expecting Diddy’s involvement to mean hip-hop crossover or American R&B gloss should not.
Is it worth your time
It is worth your time if you want a globally oriented Afro-pop record shaped by remote collaboration, Nigerian-language vocals, and executive input from Diddy and Bose Ogulu — but not if you expect dense instrumental interplay, live-band textures, or studio experimentation beyond what the material confirms.
