I Told Them...

I Told Them... is the seventh studio album by Nigerian singer Burna Boy. It was released on 25 August 2023, through Atlantic, Spaceship Records, and Bad Habit. The album features guest appearances from 21 Savage, Dave, Seyi Vibez, J. Cole, GZA and RZA of the Wu-Tang Clan, and Byron Messia. The album was preceded by four singles, "Sittin' on Top of the World", "Talibans II", "Big 7", and "Cheat on Me".

Background and singles

In support of his sixth studio album Love, Damini (2022), Ogulu embarked on a global tour starting in May 2022, with dates in North America, Europe and Africa. On 3 June 2023, he performed in front of a sold-out 60,000 crowd at the London Stadium, becoming the first African artist to headline a stadium tour in the UK. Reacting to this achievement, Ogulu first alluded to the album title, saying, "I told them that I'm a genius".

The first single "Sittin' on Top of the World" was released on 1 June 2023, supported by a remix featuring 21 Savage three weeks later. On 21 July, he shared another single titled "Talibans II" with Byron Messia. Ogulu announced the album on 27 July. The announcement was accompanied by an album trailer and the release of the single "Big 7". The song arrived with a Benny Boom-directed music video, featuring cameos by RZA, Busta Rhymes, Junior Mafia and Shameik Moore. On 22 August, Burna released the fourth single titled "Cheat on Me" featuring UK rapper Dave.

Critical reception

I Told Them... received generally positive reviews from music critics; at review aggregator Metacritic, it received a score of 78 out of 100 based on seven critics' reviews. Betty Godson from NotJustOk noted that Burna "makes use of different sonic elements to achieve the impressive sound of the album" while stating that his "delivery is strong and charismatic." Writing for The Guardian, Alexis Petridis spoke on the album's production, noting that "[it] hones Burna Boy's sprawling influences into music that feels punchy, inimitable and impressively streamlined." Oyebanji Akins of CTDAmongblacks podcast in his review said that Burna Boy is working to bring Black Americans and Africans closer.

Ben Jolley from NME stated that "there's plenty of radio-ready gold to enjoy in the album's many singalong choruses and interesting production choices" while concluding his review by writing that the album "is not only more memorable and focused than its expansive predecessor, but it's his strongest album yet." The Independent's Helen Brown stated that the album is "richly and lovingly crafted, with easygoing mix of Afro-pop, rap and R&B, loaded with texture and pleasant melody, all held together by Ogulu's appealing voice.

Writing for Pitchfork, Julianne Escobedo Shepherd wrote that the album "is succinct and grand as an opening salvo, which explores the '90s U.S. hip-hop he grew up loving, preemptively hedging scepticism."

Year-end lists

Commercial performance

I Told Them... debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart, selling 14,164 album-equivalent units in the first week, becoming Burna Boy's first number-one album. Becoming the first number one album ever on the chart by an African artist. Singles "Sittin' on Top of the World", "Big 7", and three other songs for the album charted on the UK Singles Chart: "Sittin' on Top of the World" (36), "Big 7" (53), "Cheat on Me" (19) and "City Boys" (14). UK chart rules prevent artists from having more than three songs in the top 40 at once, otherwise, Burna Boy's album would have generated further new entries in the countdown.

The album also debuted at number 31 in the US after selling 21,000 copies in the country in its first week.

Track listing

Notes

• ^[a] signifies an additional producer.
• "Sittin' on Top of the World" contains a sample of "Top of the World" (1998), written by LaShawn Daniels, Fred Jerkins III, Rodney Jerkins, Isaac Phillips, Nycolia "Tye-V" Turman and Mason Betha, as performed by Brandy featuring Mase.

Personnel

• Burna Boy – vocals
• Gerhard Westphalen – mastering
• Jesse Ray Ernster – mixing
• Otis Millstone – engineering
• Andrea Mastro – recording (track 1)
• Eric Isaac Utere – recording (4)
• GZA – additional vocals (1)
• Ashton Sellars – guitar (3)
• Ife Ogunjobi – trumpet (3)
• Nadia Simon – trumpet (3)
• Virgil Abloh – vocals (7)

Charts

Certifications