Burna Boy's 'No Sign of Weakness' fulfills his rock star dreams

NEW YORK -- While classmates dreamed of becoming teachers, doctors and professional athletes, Burna Boy was clear on his future aspirations.

“They would hand out the papers and the question would be, ‘What you wanna be?’ … I’d write ‘rock star,’” said the Afrobeats giant. “One of my teachers asked me, ‘What do rock stars do?’ I didn’t really know what to say.”

These days, the Grammy winner’s music talks for him. Fresh off becoming the first African artist to sell out Paris’ iconic Stade de France in April, Burna Boy has been on an incredible run, and hopes it continues with his new album out Friday.

“’No Sign of Weakness’ is really like a celebration of the fact that that I’m still here throughout all these years and all the trials and tribulations,” explained the Nigerian artist. “I decided to intentionally make sure everyone on this project could comfortably and genuinely say they’re a rock star.”

Following 2023’s Grammy-nominated “I Told Them…,” this project includes blockbuster features, like legendary Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger, country hitmaker Shaboozey and hip-hop heavyweight Travis Scott.

Writing on all 16 tracks, Burna relied on his standard successful creation process: record constantly, choose some songs from his vault that fit his decided theme, and then craft the project around them. He's already dropped “Bundle by Bundle,” “Update,” which features an interpolation of Soul II Soul’s classic “Back To Life,” “Sweet Love” and “TaTaTa” featuring Scott.

Music from Africa has exploded globally in recent years. Regions in Africa and the Middle East reached double-digit gains in music revenue last year, according to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. In 2023, the group reported that sub-Saharan Africa was the fastest-growing music industry, with artists like Burna, Davido and Wizkid leading the way, along with Tyla, who’s spread South Africa’s Amapino sound.

“I feel blessed. I also feel great responsibility … I’m blamed for everything, most especially, things I couldn’t possibly be responsible for,” said Burna, alluding to demands in Nigeria. “I don’t vote, and I’ve never done it. But now, it’s to the point where even that: if I don’t vote, because I don’t say I’ll vote for this person or vote for that person, it’s a problem.”

But that weight of responsibility isn’t felt on his eighth studio album. “Dem Dey,” a tongue-in-cheek bop referencing his gossipy social media scandal with a Nigerian influencer which amused fans, is sure to crowd dance floors, while he and Jagger formed a dynamic duo on the Afrobeat-rock hybrid “Empty Chairs.”

“That’s how I see the future of our music … music that’s supposed to last, music that you can perform forever,” said Burna, who collaborated with the 81-year-old by trading ideas through WhatsApp after being connected by supermodel Naomi Campbell. “That’s where I want to be when I’m that age.”

For his country-infused “Change Your Mind” with Shaboozey, the pair plead for second chances after souring relationships.

“Here’s an Igbo boy from the eastern part of Nigeria who comes to America as a young guy,” said Burna of the “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” singer. “He’s flourishing in the country world. If I’m not proud of that, then I don’t think I can be proud of anything in life.”

The Afrobeats superstar, currently featured on the soundtrack for the blockbuster “F1" movie starring Brad Pitt and Damson Idris, hopes the genre continues to thrive and not become a fad. But while the female artists are united, the top men have experienced friction in the past.

“We need to figure how to make our diversities into an advantage instead of a disadvantage, and that goes across — not just for Nigeria," said Burna, whose grandfather managed Afrobeat icon Fela Kuti. "It goes for everything Black and African, because the only thing we always lack is strong organization.”

While some artists have expressed ideas on unification, Burna Boy is cautious.

“When we’re talking about uniting ... We’re talking about people who actually can help matters,” he said. “I don’t want to discuss with people that it’s just going to end up a discussion, and there’s not going to be any action.”

For the moment, he’s pressing forward. The “Last Last” artist launched his world tour this week with North American dates beginning in November. It features a circular stage, providing fans an equally enjoyable musical experience — although he’s certain he’ll enjoy it more.

“This is going to sound selfish as hell — but I definitely have more fun than everybody … when I die, I want to go to a stage in Heaven,” said Burna. “Every time I watch myself perform, I see a big smile on my face that I never see anywhere else.”

___

Follow Associated Press entertainment journalist Gary Gerard Hamilton at @GaryGHamilton on all his social media platforms.