Wonderful (Burna Boy song)
| "Wonderful" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Burna Boy | ||||
| from the album Twice as Tall | ||||
| Released | June 26, 2020 | |||
| Recorded | 2020 | |||
| Genre | Afrobeats | |||
| Length | 3:33 | |||
| Label |
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| Songwriter(s) | Damini Ogulu | |||
| Producer(s) | Telz | |||
| Burna Boy singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Wonderful " on YouTube | ||||
"Wonderful" is a song by Nigerian singer Burna Boy. It was released on June 26, 2020, as the lead single from his fifth studio album Twice as Tall (2020).[1] The song was produced by Nigerian record producer Telz.[2] It debuted at number 16 on Billboard's World Digital Song Sales chart.[3]
Background and composition
[edit]"Wonderful" was produced by Telz and sees Burna Boy expressing excitement for his people and the globalization of their unique sound. It was recorded in Nigerian pidgin and Yoruba.[4] The song is a mixture of soul, reggaeton, a little bit of house, and the vocal texture of Kwaito music. The record producer Telz made a simple instrumental with staccato melodies and a fast-tempo reggaeton percussion.[5] The song talks about the importance of working hard and returning home.[6]
Music video
[edit]An accompanying music video for "Wonderful" was released on June 26, 2020, and was directed by Director K; it depicts old African ways. In it, Burna Boy is seen lying asleep on a palm frond, somewhere in the land of warriors, kings and queens, he's then woken from his drowse by a gorilla and ambushed by some warriors dressed in traditional attire, before turning into a celebration where both the warriors and the singer began dancing. Burna Boy is dressed as a warrior and hailed a champion. Upon the release of the song, Burna Boy said "This song is about the wonders of seeing the impact of my music on people's lives as they shared their joy, pain and pleasure with me while I toured the world".[7][6]
Critical response
[edit]"Wonderful" received positive reviews from music critics and consumers. In a review for Pitchfork, Mankaprr Conteh praised the song's production and said "the singer revels in the alchemy of rhythm and hustle. He's mystified by what beats and drums can conjure, the way they spread joy and spark motion from your toes to your scalp".[8] Chioma Onyefuosaonu of tooXclusive awarded the song video three stars out of five, noting that the "costume and make up for this video was well executed. The tribal markings, the clothing choice and the setting depicts old African ways".[6] An editor for SoundStroke gave "Wonderful" an 8.0/10 rating, stating that "the overall production was good as the vocals were balanced with the instrumental".[5]
Charts
[edit]| Chart (2020) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US World Digital Song Sales (Billboard)[3] | 16 |
| UK Afrobeats Singles (Official Charts Company)[9] | 4 |
References
[edit]- ^ Leight, Elias (June 25, 2020). "Burna Boy Previews 'Twice as Tall' Album With New Single 'Wonderful'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
- ^ "African Giant Burna Boy Is Back With New Tune "Wonderful"". Wonderland Magazine. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
- ^ a b "World Digital Song Sales Chart". Billboard. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
- ^ Powell, Jon (July 1, 2020). "Burna Boy is "Wonderful" in new visual". Revolt. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
- ^ a b "Review: Burna Boy – Wonderful". SoundStroke. June 26, 2020. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
- ^ a b c "Burna Boy - "Wonderful Review", This Burna Still Portraying Himself As The 'True Warrior' Africans Should Celebrate". tooXclusive. July 19, 2020. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
- ^ Minsker, Evans (June 30, 2020). "Watch Burna Boy's New Video for "Wonderful"". Pitchfork. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
- ^ Conteh, Mankaprr (June 26, 2020). ""Wonderful" by Burna Boy Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
- ^ Copsey, Rob (July 26, 2020). "NSG crowned Number 1 on the first ever Official Afrobeats Chart". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 20, 2020.