Entertainment
‘Love Damini Is A Product, Victim Of Burna Boy’s Golden Run’
Wizkid might be the great-est of his generation, but Burna Boy and Olamide have clearly owned album conversations in their generation. For Burna Boy, he started his career with two impressive EPs and an album, L.I.F.E. He then experienced a fair balance between a slump and mediocre project releases, till Outside dropped.
The album became the commencement of a trifecta: an immaculate three-album run, which marked the zenith of Burna Boy’s career. African Giant is the undisputed magnus opus, but Twice As Tall was another magnificent showcase of artistry, panache and swashbuckling musicality, from the staple of the most talented and most versatile artiste of his generation – and one of Nigeria’s most versatile artists to have ever lived.
That was his ‘golden run,’ a peerless period in the life of every creative artiste, which is a product of 10,000 hours of application and mastery of their craft. The result is the ‘midas touch,’ which encapsulates the concepts of self-awareness, confidence and limitless belief in self, having earned that belief. It is then applied to create groundbreaking art
The end of a ‘golden run’ does not mean that creatives suddenly become mediocre – some of them can still be excellent. But audiences or even the creatives themselves just know that something is missing.
A ‘golden run’ usually ends because creativity is exhausting and exhaustive, and audiences evolve faster than they realise. Which is why templates only work for so long, when you are a superstar. Thus artistes have to keep evolving as well.
In the case of Burna Boy, his ‘golden run’ has finally hit a snag. For the first time in four music years, he seems fallible on an album. While he is no longer walking in air, he is still not walking on the ground like everybody else.
‘Love, Damini’ is also very personal. In fact, it is Burna Boy’s most personal album, as he offers us more insights into Damini Ogulu: the Port Harcourt boy who loves baddies, sex and big nyash (‘Different Size,’ ‘Vanilla.’ ‘Science,’ and more); who is aware of his imperfections, who subconsciously yearns to be understood, loved for who he is and not consistently judged (‘It’s Plenty’ and ‘Glory’); and who wears his heart on his sleeve, and openly declares his belief in love (‘Jagele,’ ‘Last Last,’ ‘For My Hand’ and more).
He reserves a lot of namechecking for people close to his heart. He even namechecks Bukola Sawyerr-Izeogu, his longterm PR person on his outro, admitting that he was not there for her when she lost her mother.
Nonetheless, he indulges his own bratty tendencies on ‘Cloak and Dagger,’ when his critics only ever highlight bad instances of his own making. It also casts shadows over the positive emotions of self-awareness on a track like ‘It’s Plenty.’ Perhaps that is an example of the personal battles of values within Burna Boy himself.
While ‘Twice As Tall’ had personal instances like ‘Level Up,’ ‘Onyeka,’ and more, his standout tracks were usually from an observer’s perspective, or created from third-person empirical perspectives. But on this album, he significantly looks inwards, and reins in his socio-political branding of recent years, barring ‘Whiskey’ and ‘Common Person.’
Despite this shift, the execution of ‘Love Damini’ is still good enough to land Burna Boy on the path to another guaranteed Grammy nomination and more importantly, hits. It also projects Burna Boy as an aware creative.
Love, Damini: Sweeper moves, reintegration into the homefront and Grammys
To create ‘Twice As Tall’ and win a Grammy, Burna Boy sacrificed the homefront and even hits.
While his career benefited from that, he inadvertently became an ‘album artist,’ which served his brand well and presented him as the ‘ideal artist’ to Europeans, western audiences and American music capitalism. It also set him on the path to becoming a Grammy baby.
While he was doing that, he inadvertently alienated the home front and sacrificed singles or hits. On this album, Burna Boy returns for a balance of his appetite to win another Grammy, continuance of forays into American, Latin, Caribbean and European charts with successful hits on – and reintegration into – the homefront.
This is exemplified by the structure of the album: a fine balance between lamba and street lingo on ‘Vanilla,’ ‘Common Person’ and ‘It’s Plenty,’ a use of the influential Amapiano sound on ‘Different Size,’ an appeal to urban American and European audiences with ‘Cloak and Dagger’ and ‘Solid,’ an appeal to white American and European chart influence with ‘For My Hand’ featuring Ed Sheeran, an appeal to Caribbean markets with ‘Toni Ann-Singh’ and an appeal to Latin markets with ‘Rollercoaster,’ featuring J Balvin, a streaming monster.
Entertainment
Stephanie Linus, First Black Recipient Of Lennox K. Black Prize
The Lennox K. Black International Prize for Excellence in Medicine is a prestigious accolade awarded by Thomas Jefferson University, recognising outstanding individuals.
The actress was honoured with the Lennox K. Black International Prize for Excellence in Medicine by Thomas Jefferson University in America in recognition of her outstanding contributions to social activism and impact through her work.
This remarkable achievement, they said, highlights her dedication to societal well-being and marks her as the first Black recipient of this distinguished award.
The Tide Entertainment reports that the Lennox K. Black International Prize for Excellence in Medicine is a prestigious accolade awarded by Thomas Jefferson University, recognising individuals who have made significant contributions to the medical field, promoting scientific discovery and advancements.
Named after Lennox K. Black, a Canadian manufacturing executive known for his philanthropic efforts and service on various boards, including Thomas Jefferson University, the prize celebrates excellence in medical innovation and global contribution to health and medicine.
The actress is renowned for her activism and impactful work in areas concerning women’s health and rights, including her efforts to combat issues like fistula and gender-based violence.
According to the award organisers she has been instrumental in bringing about social change through her films and campaigns. They added that her work extends beyond borders, affecting lives and policies internationally, embodying the spirit of the Lennox K. Black International Prize.
On receiving the award, Stephanie expressed her gratitude and reaffirmed her commitment to using her platform for social good.
“This recognition goes beyond me; it is for all the women and girls fighting for a healthier, safer world. It amplifies our message and our work. It strengthens my resolve to continue advocating for gender equality, social justice, and improved maternal and reproductive health in Africa,” she said
Susan Aldunge, Interim President of Thomas Jefferson University, admired the actress, saying, ‘‘Your ability to educate while humbly addressing the cultural obstacles impeding progress for young women is commendable. Your intelligent, personal take on the necessary human rights changes has deeply impacted all lucky to encounter you. Congratulations once more on this well-deserved award and the acknowledgement of your efforts.’”
Ms Aldunge further said that Thomas Jefferson University, a leader in medical education and research, hosts the award to underscore its mission of improving lives through innovation in health care.
‘‘The university is proud to honour Stephanie Linus, whose work aligns with Jefferson’s values of creativity, collaboration, and compassion in pursuing excellence in medicine and beyond.
“Awarding the Lennox K. Black International Prize to Stephanie Linus celebrates her achievements and signals a broader recognition of the importance of social activism in medicine and health,” she added.
“Her pioneering efforts continue to inspire and effect change, paving the way for a healthier, more equitable world’’.
Stephanie, who was named Chairperson of the Nigerian Official Selection Committee (NOSC) for the Best International Feature Film (IFF) category of the Oscars in August 2023, is best known for her 2015 advocacy movie ‘Dry’, which tells the story of a 13-year-old girl whose parents marry her off to a 60-year-old man, with devastating consequences.
Entertainment
‘I’ll Continue To Ask For My Balance’ – Phyna reacts.
Ilebaye’s revelation came just after Phyna had publicly called out the organizers for withholding some of her prizes.
Phyna, who revealed this to Newsmen insinuated that Ilebaye broke the gender code by announcing that she got her full prize money.
She also stressed that she would continue to demand for her balance, stating that she worked hard for the money during the show’s 72-day duration.
“I believe I should at least get what I worked so hard for 72 days. You all suddenly remembered your alert screenshots and IG Live………… Common……one among others is 1BTC which is over 80m in today’s market.
“To those who got their money in full
I’m happy for you. As a poor man’s child, let me ask for my money and other items remaining.,” She added.
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