Twice as Tall
by Burna Boy
  • Record Label: Atlantic
  • Release Date: Aug 13, 2020
User Score
8.4

Universal acclaim- based on 11 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 11
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 11
  3. Negative: 0 out of 11
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  1. clem666
    Aug 22, 2023
    4
    Burna Boy's glow up sequel. Apparently. Diddy joined the party as executive producer but in my opinion it wasn't enough to save the record from uninspired afrovibe type beats. 'Naughty by Nature' and 'Bebo' are the best examples of this in my opinion.

    Fortunately others producers joined the party, as none other than Mike Dean and Timbaland but they also didn't manage to do the trick. On    Burna Boy's glow up sequel. Apparently. Diddy joined the party as executive producer but in my opinion it wasn't enough to save the record from uninspired afrovibe type beats. 'Naughty by Nature' and 'Bebo' are the best examples of this in my opinion.

    Fortunately others producers joined the party, as none other than Mike Dean and Timbaland but they also didn't manage to do the trick. On the other hand, the apparition of french producer Skread on '23' is as surprising as delightful. This record needed a calmer song and he beautifully provided it.

    I just don't know about the lyrics. It is just too weird. The fact that Burna Boy can sing about struggles in his life and brag about it in the same song reinforces the confusion of jumping from a language to another constantly and of trying to create dumb neologisms. Although featured artists definitely bring some depth to the whole project, especially Sauti Sol, Youssou N'Dour & Stormzy. The artistic direction of 'Monsters You Made' prevented Chris Martin's contribution from being as predictable as it too often is.

    In conclusion, this is a holiday album born from a disappointing attempt to fuse afrobeat (a genre surprisingly and shamefully centered on the Americans and described as 'International' by sites such as Metacritic) and post-industrial tasteless music of nowadays. Uninspired flows, ruined ideas, silly predictable themes and overly simple production is what characterize this LP.
    Burna Boy however remains an entertaining artist to see in concert.    … Expand

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
79

Generally favorable reviews - based on 6 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 6
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 6
  3. Negative: 0 out of 6
  1. AllMusic
    Sep 1, 2020
    80
    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.
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  2. Pitchfork
    Aug 19, 2020
    80
    Twice as Tall advances Burna’s political vision, and is frankly less fun than the two recent projects that catapulted him to superstardom. But the world is less fun than it was a year ago, too. Society could use a hero, a godsend. Pairing rhythms that possess the hips with encouraging calls for Black unity and an infectious sense of self-reliance, Twice as Tall is Herculean.
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  3. The Guardian
    Aug 18, 2020
    80
    The result is songs that are intricate but still tricky, in the way African rhythms can be, but there’s a comforting palm wine-y warmth – regardless of his almost perpetual fury or often tedious boasting, Twice as Tall is usually more urbane than urban. And crucially, the singer is totally in tune with what his fellow millennials expect from their music and their cultural experiences.
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