Lungu Boy
| Lungu Boy | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 9 August 2024 | |||
| Length | 48:07 | |||
| Language |
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| Label | ||||
| Producer |
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| Asake chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Lungu Boy | ||||
Lungu Boy is the third studio album by Nigerian singer Asake. A follow-up to his previous album, Work of Art (2023), the album was released on 9 August 2024 through YBNL Nation and Empire Distribution. The album also contains guest appearances from Wizkid, Travis Scott, Stormzy, Central Cee and Ludmilla, alongside production from P.Priime, Magicsticks, Mike Dean, Sarz and Sak Pase.
Release and promotion
[edit]On 10 June 2024 Asake announced his Lungu Boy World Tour alongside the album.[1] On 21 June 2024, Asake released the album's lead single, "Wave" with Central Cee, followed by its official music video on the same day.[2][3] On 5 August, Asake shared the album's official tracklist, previewing guest appearances from Central Cee, Ludmilla, Stormzy, Travis Scott and Wizkid.[4]
Critical reception
[edit]| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| African Folder | 7.4/10[5] |
| The Daily Telegraph |   [6] |
| The Guardian | [7] |
| NME | [8] |
| Rolling Stone |  [9] |
| Zikoko | 7/10[10] |
Lungu Boy received mostly positive reviews from music critics. Luke Seaman and Poppie Platt of The Daily Telegraph's review awarded the album four out of five stars, characterizing it as a "musical experiment" and commending Asake for his innovative approach.[6] Writing for The Guardian, Ben Beaumont-Thomas gave the album the same score, praising the album as an impressive wave of West African pop. However, he also noted that it was not as strong as Asake's second studio album, Work of Art.[7]
Rolling Stone's Mankaprr Conteh rated the record three and a half stars, writing: "Lungu Boy keeps the faith but explores new sounds, becoming Asake’s most rhythmically and emotionally diverse album yet, with some experiments more successful than others."[9]
However, NME's Kyann-Sian Williams only awarded Lungu Boy three stars in a more mixed review. They praised Asake for "still rewriting the rulebook on Afro-pop", but questioned why it took some time to "get to the good stuff".[8]
Track listing
[edit]| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Start" | Ahmed Ololade | P.Priime | 1:21 |
| 2. | "MMS" (with Wizkid) |
| P.Priime | 3:39 |
| 3. | "Mood" | Ololade | P.Priime | 2:51 |
| 4. | "My Heart" | Ololade | P.Priime | 3:17 |
| 5. | "Worldwide" | Ololade | Sarz | 3:02 |
| 6. | "Active" (with Travis Scott) |
| 2:53 | |
| 7. | "Suru" (with Stormzy) |
| P.Priime | 3:40 |
| 8. | "Skating" | Ololade | P.Priime | 2:56 |
| 9. | "Wave" (with Central Cee) |
| Magicsticks | 3:25 |
| 10. | "Mentally" | Ololade | Sarz | 3:17 |
| 11. | "Uhh Yeahh" | Ololade | Sarz | 3:24 |
| 12. | "I Swear" | Ololade | P.Priime | 3:04 |
| 13. | "Ligali" | Ololade | Sarz | 2:53 |
| 14. | "Whine" (with Ludmilla) |
| Sak Pase | 2:58 |
| 15. | "Fuji Vibe" | Ololade | Magicsticks | 5:22 |
| Total length: | 48:07 | |||
Charts
[edit]| Chart (2024) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Irish Albums (OCC)[11] | 42 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[12] | 15 |
| UK R&B Albums (OCC)[13] | 34 |
Release history
[edit]| Region | Date | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| Various | 9 August 2024 |
References
[edit]- ^ Mamo, Heran (10 June 2024). "Asake Announces Lungu Boy World Tour: Here Are the Dates". Billboard. Archived from the original on 17 June 2024. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
- ^ Damara Kelly, Tyler (24 June 2024). "Central Cee and Asake unveil new collaboration, "Wave"". The Line of Best Fit. Archived from the original on 24 June 2024. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
- ^ Murray, Robin (21 June 2024). "Asake, Central Cee Combine On 'Wave' – It's A Flex". Clash. Archived from the original on 22 June 2024. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
- ^ Naomi, Utere (5 August 2024). "Asake reveals release date and tracklist for 'Lungu Boy' album". NotJustOk. Archived from the original on 5 August 2024. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
- ^ "Lungu Boy By Asake: Elevating Nigerian Street Sound To International Heights". African Folder. 10 August 2024. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
- ^ a b Seaman, Luke; Platt, Poppie (9 August 2024). "Asake delivers another triumph for West Africa – plus the week's best albums". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
- ^ a b Beaumont-Thomas, Ben (9 August 2024). "Asake: Lungu Boy review – Nigerian superstar trips across the Black diaspora, with help from Stormzy". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
- ^ a b Williams, Kyann-Sian (12 August 2024). "Asake – Lungu Boy review: an experiment with mega highs, but lots of filler too". NME. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
- ^ a b Conteh, Mankaprr (12 August 2024). "On 'Lungu Boy' Asake Goes Worldwide Without Forgetting Home". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
- ^ "Asake's "Lungu Boy" is an Unsuccessful Experiment, Unlikely a Convincing Trifecta". Zikoko. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
- ^ "Official Irish Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
- ^ "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 16 August 2024.