Official cover art for ‘Adedamola’
Fireboy Dml appeared to have suffered from a seeming diabolical hex. Had the YBNL headliner fallen prey to a momentum decline? – a brooding question on the conscious/subconscious of most who riddled themselves with the singer’s affairs.
For one, his hits grew amiss. Songs that would have led fans into a frenzy declined to fade hubris. This was of no function of his music’s utility but rather an unfortunate by-product of mainstream media pushback.
Chants of the ace singer ‘falling off’ filled the tabloids and the pedestal once saddled with ease became a slippery slope.
Fireboy Dml, the exciting star whose debut full-length LP ‘Laughter, Tears, and Goosebumps’ had been compared to greats now appeared shaky in self-esteem.
To his credit, he did a good job acting like he was as confident as ever but even his AMVCA-worthy performances failed to fool this writer.
Perhaps, the unjust criticisms of his third LP ‘Playboy’ ate deep and in a ripple effect, tampered with his confidence. His failure to push certain songs off the Playboy album exposed his angst. Was he listening to the negative feedback that he had failed to recognize career-spiralling gems? why else would he sleep on a Chris Brown and Sheensea feature?
The critics came out to bite, sparing no artery. The project was labelled an artistic letdown by critics who perceived Fireboy’s sudden rebrand from good boy-lover boy to Cassanova as a forced and goofy ploy.
Sadly, music consumers get the bulk of their quality conviction from the mainstream media. And ‘Playboy’ was considered an artistic flop by a vast majority albeit a commercial success.
This seeming conviction from the mainstream media rubbed off on the public’s perception and rendered Fireboy Dml’s ensuing works as ‘Damage Control’ (even though the reality was far from the case). It helped not much that he was also a record label mate to Asake. And boy oh boy Asake’s momentum was enough to overshadow Fireboy and really, anyone’s brilliance.
DMl was faced with a conundrum. Even when he spewed reassuring lyrics such as “Man on a mission, I see no competition”, he was fooling nobody. The bottom line remained that he had to shut the mouths of naysayers. This is a critical part of the game. Respect and in his case… Redemption.
In comes, ‘Adedamola’. Fireboy’s fourth album. Coined after his first name, in the Yoruba language. Adedamola’s cover art has its encryption coloured Yellow Gold ( this writer stands corrected), a symbol of royalty and wealth ( two virtues embodied in his name).
The fourteen-track album has a lot of weight attached. This should be the album that significantly defines his trajectory, levelling him up to heights foreseen and calling the bluff of any who has been prone to recency bias and has slandered his name in the process.
Although Fireboy Dml or any of his core fans won’t be the first to admit it, ‘Adedamola’ is a redemption album. A beautiful redemption.
‘Adedamola’ is a mature project, Reminiscent of his debut classic, only this time, improved. If there were ever doubts about Fireboy Dml’s singing abilities this album numbs to mute. The songwriting is more nuanced. His vocals are unapologetically at his best ( excerpt is found in the efficacy of his effortless falsettos on the Jon Batiste enlisted ‘Ready’).
Fireboy Dml’s growth is admirable and his ambition is glaring. Enlisting Jon Batiste strikes as Record Academy bait. But this writer is sure the fulfilment derived from working with a virtuoso such as Jon rates just as high as a Grammy nod.
The sequencing is beautiful, the production is world-class, and the features are overwhelmingly emotional. Soulful music at its peak.
Ultimately, In ‘Adedamola’, Fireboy’s soul is laid bare for all to listen. This is a soulful singer whose cadence strikes pure. The soul is hard to resist. He brings back a flare truly missing in Afrobeats. Fireboy Dml’s ‘Adedamola’ is the product of a beautiful soul.
Ratings: 10/10
