Adedamola: Is This Fireboy DML’s Best Album Yet? 

a simple project is the hardest to pull off. it has nothing you could classify as grand or over the top, it’s just good music and better features. that is what fireboy has done.

a lot of people were saying that his last two projects weren’t the fireboy we knew when ybnl, his record label, first announced him. he proved us all wrong with this one, that’s why a self-titled project, adedamola remains apt for a masterpiece and a way to silence his critics.

he proved to everyone that he’s adedamola (a combination of royalty and wealth), and earned the rights to give his fourth studio album the same identity.

the album started with iseoluwa, a spiritual masterclass, likened to asake’s ‘mms’ and olamide’s ‘morowore,’ you could say the ybnl artists had a round table meeting before releasing their albums. it talked about the wonders of God in his life and the power of his praying mother standing solidly behind him. and now, he’s a walking wonder on this great earth that was void and without form until God himself who he is returning all glory to, created. 

then call me is a way of saying “una don miss my loverboy era,” a perfect reference to the fireboy we fell in love with. he’s still a badman because you can “call him anytime you need someone to hold on to” and he’d be right there to stand by you. then went on to talk about visualizing a paradise on ecstasy, a combination of his beautiful voice and the legendary seun kuti backing it up with his saxophone, it does give that great feeling that can only be expressed with the sound coming from that marvelous instrument.

hell & back talks about the ups and downs of love, where you have that mixed feeling/moments of doubt and questioning. does she love me? does she not? incessant calling, after putting him through hell & back, and he’s asking a question “tell me why you want me back?” 

of course, he went on with lojay in letting go to continue the conversation he started on hell & back (the previous track), replying with an imaginative conversation with every listener  about the girl (julie) that “sometimes love is letting go” but now he’s reassuring her that i go dey for you. with this he leaves her with “so if you love me let me know, make i no go carry gbese on my own”  

lagbaja’s input on ‘back n forth’ brought back a lot of memories. who was expecting to see a collaboration of such prowess with the talented ‘faceless man?’ 

‘back n forth’ offers the reassurance that should come with doubting when in love. lagbaja came through and both artists talked about that love that one feels deep inside on this track. the love that burns you up so much but you don’t know if you’re showing it enough. because even when “he’s still in denial and doesn’t know how to show it” he loves every single moment with her. 

ready talks about how he gave his heart and soul to her with the american multi-instrumentalist jon batiste doing his thing. at this point, he’s ready to be with her because since going through hell n back and realizing that love is letting go he’s ever ready for love again. 

the album finally gave us a little breathing space on the 7th track wande’s bop. fireboy switched to remind us that; love is good but partying is better. and yes, he did kill the track and left us wondering if the great wande coal was featured. that’s how to deliver a reimagined, he did it in ‘olufunmi,’ he did it again here.

still in the club and street mood, he’s talking about how he’s a big boy with that confidence because he’s a man with money (mo popular, mo lowo sa, agba singer……) and would do anything. so why not come let me change your life. 

you know that thing when an album drops and you skip the pre-released singles? nah! obaa sima has a crazy replay value. what a song! “i know the truth is bitter, so give me something sweeter” fireboy knows how to effectively use the lyrics of a song to communicate its message. 

he continues with that flirty and slutty tone in ‘need me’, evident in its lyrics “i know this sounds crazy but can i call you baby?” is there a slicker pickup line? the combination of ‘body no be firewood’ and ‘kerosene no dey sleep’ is just so smooth fireboy doesn’t even realize it. 

yawa is another example of a pre-release you can’t skip. fireboy switches with his rhythm for three minutes to let us know he’s not playing around and how there’s trouble yawa because of how he’s on his lane as a sure boy doing his thing (i’m not competing, i’m just living my truth) .  a good way to tell fans and critics alike that he’s not competing because he’s a product of god’s wonders and one can’t stop his work (as sung in iseoluwa).

everyday goes back talking about love, but this time, it’s deeper because there’s a level of vulnerability, maturity, and dedication that feels more heartfelt than ever and contrasts the confident swagger of the previous track (a lot of irregularities he had to clear). so now with all power, he’s not here to confuse but convince her that real love is here. and no matter where she goes, he’s just ‘one call away’ as he’s missing her and would stop everything because a lot of girls are on his catalog but he wants only her………   just picture a love letter set to music. likeeeeee so cute! 😅

in the spirit of love and light with everything in between, the outro to this album is as beautiful as the intro. fireboy had to end the album that was created to speak to the soul with it’s arrangement and shines brightly amongst lots of albums in the world today.  it was like listening to white noise to relax your mind, jon’s interlude.

the production of this album is complete. even when the delivery isn’t as dope on ‘change your life,’ the production and the lamba were enough to carry the track through.

there’s also the credit for the album sequence, which without a good one, an album is just a playlist. the transition between hell n back, letting go and back n forth was intentional, making the tracks tell a story. 

fireboy dml has positioned himself as an artist that has a great impact on the global music scene. his unique sound, combined with his undeniable talent and widespread appeal, sets the stage for adedamola, making it resonate with listeners of all ages.

a solid 8.2/10.

listen here: fireboy 4th studio album – adedamola