Award-winning artist, Fireboy DML has given some insights into his self-styled Afro-Live genre which he described as Afrobeats with some level of soul and depth to it.
According to Fireboy, while Afrobeats music has always been beautiful, it lacked soul and lyricism which was something his music brought to Nigerian mainstream Pop music with his Afro-Life genre.
“The Afrobeats scene before I came in, has always been beautiful. It was built on vibes and energy and percussion and instruments and everything. But I realized that there was something lacking, and that was pure soul and lyricism in our music. That was what I brought into the game. And I figured if you’re bringing something new to the table, it needs a name. That’s why I call it Afro-Life — it’s Afrobeats that has some depth to it,” he said.
The “Vibration” crooner urged fellow musicians to delve deeper into their emotions and experiences to produce music that resonates on a profound level with listeners.
Fireboy revealed that listening to artists like Elton John, James Blunt, Celine Dion, Wande Coal, and 2Baba while growing up inspired the kind of music he makes.
Since breaking into the mainstream in 2019 with his debut album ‘Laughter, Tears, and Goosebumps’, Fireboy DML is known for his remarkable success and his contribution to the global exportation of Nigerian music.
Fireboy’s statement on Afrobeats’ lack of soul and lyricism is reminiscent of Burna Boy where he claimed the majority of Afrobeats’ music is about nothing and lacks substance.
It also continues the trend of Nigerian artists creating their genres in a bid to detach from the Afrobeats tag.
Fireboy shared some insights about his fourth album which is expected to be released later in the year.
On the forthcoming album which he intends to get personal and share what success means to him, “It is a culmination of what I’ve learned in the past couple of years,” he said.
Fireboy also shared that he wishes to work with Nigerian Grammy winner Burna Boy, Post Malone, Travis Scott, and Don Toliver in the near future.
Afrobeats is a contemporary music genre that originated in West Africa, particularly Nigeria, in the early 2000s. It’s a fusion of traditional African rhythms, highlife music, hip-hop, dancehall, and other global music influences. Artists like Fela Kuti, King Sunny Adé, and Tony Allen played crucial roles in shaping the genre’s foundation.
Fireboy On Date With Madonna
Nigerian singer Adedamola Adefolahan, also known as Fireboy DML, relished going on a date with legendary American pop star, Madonna.
He described the experience as the “most memorable day” of his life.
“Madonna sent me a DM on Instagram. I think she told me she was a fan and she loved the most unlikely song on my debut album. She is so weird and funny. I just love her. That is one of the highlights of my career; having a song with Madonna is really something to be proud of because that’s the Queen of Pop,” the ‘Peru’ crooner said.
“I went out on a date with Madonna and I would say that was probably the most memorable day of my life. It was an experience,” he further added.
It can be recalled that Madonna featured Fireboy in a remix of her 1998 classic, ‘Frozen’ in 2022. They also shot a video for the song in the United States.
Talking about his hit song ‘Peru’ with Ed Sheeran, he revealed that God answered his prayers because he prayed for a global hit that would cut across the whole world and become a hit.
He recounted when Ed Sheeran sent him a verse on his [Fireboy] song ‘Peru’, adding that the verse was “fire”.
“He is an amazing person. A genuine person. Success has a different effect on people. He’s so down to earth. No matter how many stadiums he sells out, no matter how many records he sells, he’s still that same person. That was the very first thing I learned from him,” Fireboy said.
He revealed that his hit song ‘Peru’ was one of the songs that put Afrobeats on the map, stating emphatically that he is honored to be a vessel.
