Celebrating 5 years of Burna Boy’s Grammy-winning album ‘Twice As Tall’

It has been 5 years since Burna Boy released his iconic album ‘Twice As Tall’.

Since its release on August 14, 2025, it has become one of the most notable projects in the modern history of Nigerian music.

Before ‘Twice As Tall’, he released his fourth album, ‘African Giant’ in 2019, which rocketed him to international success.

The album was monumental both in its global commercial and critical impact, which made him the first star in Nigerian pop music to receive a Grammy nomination as a lead artist. This feat was a big win for him and an industry that was gaining global attention.

When Burna Boy lost the Best Global Album prize to legendary Benin Republic singer Angelique Kidjo, he was distraught, and with this pain, he found inspiration from the familiar source that has sustained his career.

He was inspired to prove that he could rise from the loss like a phoenix from the ashes to create an album worthy of the biggest prize in music.

‘Twice As Tall’ is the definitive proof of his exceptional ability, which etched his name in Nigerian music folklore and earned him a spot in the league of the world’s most gifted artists.

The 15-track album was Burna Boy at his blistering best, both as a writer, singer, rapper, poet, philosopher, and villain.

To drive home his desire to make a critically acclaimed album, he decidedly cut down on the commerciality of pop music, which he substituted with multi-genre offerings that hold musicality, depth, and appeal.

He tapped American legendary rapper, producer, and label boss Sean Puff Diddy Combs to serve as the executive producer for the album that holds his African identity, which he balanced with the perspective of a star perched on the world stage.

He dips into his pain to remind himself that he’s deserving of his success and accolades through a breathtaking rap performance on ‘Level Up’ next to Senegalese legend Youssour N’dour.

His exploration of Pan Africanism is evident on the album cover art that features the famous Bini Bronze head, Egyptian Pyramid, and the tall walls that are symbolic of ancient Sub-Saharan African Kingdoms.

On the album, his pan Africanism takes him to Kenya, where he partnered with the era-defining band Sauti Sol for the stunning folk rendition ‘Time Flies’.

He offers a bold take on neo-colonialism and corruption that runs across the continent on ‘Monsters You Made’ featuring Coldplay‘s frontman Chris Martin.

His Nigerian identity shines on the Highlife-infused love anthem ‘Onyeka’, where he pays homage to the late iconic multi-faceted star Onyeka Onwenu.

He delivers Afrobeats records grounded in Nigerian identity in the upbeat ‘Bebo’ and the bouncy ‘Commas’, where he offers a comedy-tinged criticism of cosmetic surgery.

In his display of range and ambition, Burna Boy still has a word for his detractors and dares to be unapologetic about his worldview, like he always does.

He asserts his supremacy on the emphatically defiant rap track ‘Way Too Big’ and celebrates his success on the hypnotic mid-tempo flow of ’23’.

With the line “my arrival f**ked up the cycle,” he boldly states the impact of his entrance in the upper echelons of Nigerian music. When he preaches peace on ‘Not Fit Vex’, it is with the tongue-in-cheek warning of a man who shouldn’t be dared.

On ‘Bank On It,’ he swaggers through an amazing record with the confidence of an artist who set out to make a classic, believing in his superlative ability to deliver what he promised.