Twice As Tall

Nigerian artist Burna Boy arrived a fully formed pop star with some of his earliest hits, but fifth album Twice as Tall finds him adding new depth to his always smooth blend of contemporary African pop styles. A more personal perspective guides much of Twice as Tall, with Burna Boy delving into moody, self-reflective lyrics about his rise to fame and his personal convictions. Musically, Twice as Tall is a magnificently polished concoction, seamlessly blurring elements of radio pop, dancehall, rap, Afro-beat and the kind of flowing Caribbean rhythms that inform album standout Wonderful. The production is at the same level of detail and quality that Burna Boy has maintained for most of his releases, but the songs flow in a cohesive, sometimes narrative fashion that offers a more direct emotional impact than some of his earlier work. Several big-name stars appear over the course of the albums 15-song track listing. Senegalese superstar Youssou NDour adds guest vocals to opening track Level Up (Twice as Tall), and elsewhere cameos crop up from hip-hop legends Naughty by Nature, Kenyan soul group Sauti Sol, Coldplays Chris Martin, and British rapper Stormzy. ~ Fred Thomas

ナイジェリア出身のシンガー・ソングライターが昨年リリースした5枚目のアルバムは、ストームジーやユッスー・ンドゥール、サウティ・ソル、ノーティ・バイ・ネイチャーといったゲストを迎えた力作に仕上がっている。アフロビート、ヒップホップ、ダンスホールなど伝統と現代が綿密に絡み合ったサウンドは、異なるものと思われていた音がベストマッチだったときの喜びでいっぱいだ。まったりとした横ノリで浸れる曲もあれば、激しく身体を揺らしたくなるアグレッシヴな曲もあり、さまざまなグルーヴを楽しめるのも良い。歌詞も聴きどころが多く、なかでもクリス・マーティン参加の"Monsters You Made"は筆者の心をとらえた。奴隷制や教育に触れながら人種差別の問題を探る言葉は、怒りと痛みで溢れた反骨心を滲ませる。
bounce (C)近藤真弥