Has Fireboy DML successfully completed his ‘trifecta?’

A lot of music has been coming out of Nigeria recently, and when I say a lot of music; it’s good music for that matter. There have been good albums from Brymo, Burna Boy, Omah Lay and others, and joining that class now is Fireboy DML. On the midnight of Friday 5th August, he finally released his third studio album, ‘Playboy,’ through YBNL and Empire. Wielding 14 tracks and features from the likes of Asake, Euro, Chris Brown, Shenseea, Rema and Ed Sheeran, it’s no wonder Fireboy thinks he’s been able to complete his ‘trifecta.’

Well, you know what we do on here, we will dive into to the album to legitimize his claim.

It’s becoming a common theme, that artistes would want to give a recap of what has been happening since their last body of work and their current state of mind on the first song of a new album; which is no different from ‘Playboy’s’ track 1, ‘Change.’ The singer opens up about his ordeal with what most high-achieving people like himself suffer from; imposter syndrome. But with the good support system he has around him, he’s able to navigate these murky waters.

Now that we have that out of the way, the jams can begin. Who else could he have brought that in with than Asake? Everything that man has been on since the beginning of 2022 has been a certified bop. It is interesting though, to note that after being clouded with a lot of doubt on track 1, Fireboy is rather optimistic about the outcome of his journey on track 2, ‘Bandana.’

Oay, now that feels more like ‘Playboy’ music. Track 3, which is called ‘Ashawo,’ is Nigerian and Ghanaian slang used to describe a promiscuous person. The entirety of the song heeds to that theme; where Fireboy gives his love interest a little heads up that he might cheat, and if she ends up doing same, she shouldn’t worry about it. Wow, how intrepid of you Fireboy!

Track 4 bears the same title as the entire album. Let me not lie, but that song happens to be one of those creeper hits. One of those songs which when you first hear, you find yourself scratching your head a bit, but with a couple listens you finally get in the groove of things.

Hold on, Hold on, Hold on! Fireboy DML rapping!? Now that’s a discovery. This guy dropped a hot sixteen and went on singing like nothing happened on ‘Adore.’ That verse from Euro synced perfectly with Fireboy’s efforts as well.

On ‘Sofri,’ we see the Fireboy from the ‘Laughter, Tears and Goosebumps’ days hop out briefly. He floated effortlessly on this song.

Listen to me when I say Chris Brown needs to be stopped. He! Needs! To! Be! Stopped! The rate at which he’s bodying every Afrobeats song he’s on is alarming. One tweep said, it appears he’s trying run for office in Nigeria and this is his strategy. This ‘Diana’ song is by far a top fan favorite on the album. Fun fact: The song was recorded in Ghana, hence, the Ghanaian references.

At this point, I’ll like to take a minute to shoutout whoever put the track list together. The sequence of ‘Diana’ and ‘Compromise’ is mind blowing. We finally get that Fireboy and Rema song, and boy did it not disappoint. It’s so interesting to see how Wizkid’s influence is so apparent on this song, because I was impatiently waiting to hear one ‘Starboy’ adlip throughout the entire listen.

The production on track 9 is exceptional. Kel P was in his bag on ‘Timoti.’ I could literally feel the bass in my soul. I’m still amazed by how Fireboy’s vocals were never overpowered by it. Definitely another fan favorite.

Next up is track 10, ‘Peru.’ The song that’s been doing a madness for Fireboy since it dropped last year. It is interesting to see how a song that started out as a freestyle, and eventually leaked by Olamide went on to be that successful.

Now, ‘Afro Highlife,’ a riveting title for a song. This is peak amalgamation of Afrobeats and Highlife. In terms of subject matter, Fireboy DML did good by recounting certain times in his life.

I don’t know if it was intentional to name track 12 ‘Havin’ Fun.’ Because aside the fact that Fireboy is singing about having fun, he making an entire Reggae song is him literally having fun with his music and creativity. He might as well drop the ‘DML’ for Marley while he’s at it, haha.

Again, don’t know how to feel about track 13. Something doesn’t sit right with me by having both the original version and the remix of ‘Peru’ on the album, but I guess it’s one of those things.

On the other hand, it’s good to see Fireboy DML shake off the imposter syndrome he felt on track 1 to reflecting on how far he’s come and feeling more deserving of the success he’s enjoying now on ‘Glory.’

Fame is a drug, and handling it can be a handful. A lot of famous people turn to a whole number of vices to handle it. It is comforting to know that Fireboy DML has found his solace, and is congenial wherever that is.

Go listen to the third studio album of Fireboy DML, ‘Playboy,’ out now on all digital streaming platforms.