Fireboy DML’s New Artistic Direction

Ferdinand Ekechukwu

AAfro-Life artiste, Fireboy DML sets out for his first ever headline concert tagged “The Fire Concert”. Following an impressive music year characterized by successful hit singles, a critically acclaimed second album and several nods, the singer would usher in the New Year with a night of energetic music performances for teeming fans, revelers and lovers of great music. He is set to release his third album later in 2022, while he has split his time between the US and Nigeria in recent times.

This comes after a whirlwind six months for Fireboy, who has already released two albums in his career; Laughter, Tears and Goosebumps, and Apollo. From ‘Jealous’, his breakthrough single, to Laughter, Tears, & Goose bumps, down to Apollo – a project that chronicles evolution, growth, love and pain – Fireboy’s remarkable journey to music has been one that passionate fans have been major players of. He’s still reeling off the robust reception from his recent single, “Peru”, a fans’ favourite that has since garnered the attention of the global music community.

Fireboy DML takes the brilliance a step further with an unexpected collaboration with Grammy award winning act Ed Sheeran for a much-anticipated remix. Released on Christmas Eve, 2021, the 25-year-old musician told Rolling Stone that he was “ecstatic” about Sheeran’s appearance, but that in his eyes, the collaboration is mainly “a big one for the [afrobeats/pop] culture.” Moreover, he drops a colourful video of this classic tune.

The rhythm and melody are so euphoric with a fusion of Yoruba and English language. Since Fireboy DML, rose to prominence, he has been at the top of his game. Born Adedamola Adefolahon, Fireboy DML had his big break in early 2019 with the re-release of “Jealous”. An Afropop head-bopper that announced his presence as a major talent, “Jealous” was initially included on YBNL Mafia Family, an album featuring artistes under the label he is signed to in Nigeria, YBNL, owned by Olamide Adedeji (Badoo).

Interestingly, Fireboy doesn’t drop singles at the pace of most musicians in the streaming era. He released his debut album Laughter, Tears, and Goosebumps in 2019, and his sophomore album Apollo the following year. He explains that his process lets him sit with his music for a long time, “looking for any flaws.” Hence, he admits that “Peru”, a song he says took less than an hour to put together, took him into a different artistic direction altogether.

By letting go of some of that patient perfectionism, he was able to loosen up. Fireboy says making the original track taught him not to overthink things, to “just enjoy the music, enjoy the process.” It’s fitting since “Peru” is, at its heart, something of a diary entry, retelling the musician’s first summer in the U.S this past year. “If you think about it, the song is really about a young man in a foreign land, enjoying himself, and just coming out of his shell and having fun and living life,” he said.

The singer made his debut in the top 30 of the Official UK Top 40 Charts with his smash hit single remix, ‘Peru’ on Friday, December 31, 2021. The record became Nigeria’s first song to record one million views on its video from Nigeria on YouTube. The record has now debuted at No. 52 on the US Rhythmic Radio charts.