Boo of the Booless is the debut album of Nigerian singer Chike. It was released on February 14, 2020.[1] Chike enlisted Ogaga Sakpaide to A&R the album.[2]
| Boo of the Booless | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | February 14, 2020 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 46:00 | |||
| Language | English Pidgin Igbo Swahili | |||
| Label | Independent | |||
| Producer | Chike Ezekpeazu Osebuka | |||
| Chike chronology | ||||
| ||||
Background edit
The album is 14-tracked and has a total listening time of 46 minutes.[3] It includes folk, R&B, afro-pop, alternative pop and highlife tracks.[1][4] Chike enlisted producers including Deeyaso, Vtekk, Doron Clinton, Adejames Crack, Blaisemix, Bierdman and Nevmix. It features three artistes; Ric Hassani on "Nakupenda", M.I. Abaga on "Forever" and Zoro on "Watching Over Me".[5]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Nigerian Entertainment Today | 8/10 |
| Pulse Nigeria | 9.8/10 |
Singles edit
"Beautiful People" was released in 2018. It is described as an alternative song from the depths of Ireland.[6]
"Finders Keepers" is a merger of alternative rock riffs with African guitar chords. Chike performed a fast-paced version of this song at his album listening party on February 16, 2020.[6]
"Forever" features MI Abaga and is comparable to mid-2000s American R&B both in sound and lyrical delivery.[6] Motolani Alake of Pulse Nigeria describes "Amen" as "wedding music in power, essence and construction".[6]
Other releases edit
Chike released a six-track mixtape named Dance of the Booless Volume 1 as a sequel to Boo of the Booless. It was described as a hybrid of Electronic Dance Music (EDM) and experimental Afro-Pop/RnB and contained remixes of songs from Boo of the Booless.[7]
He released visuals for "Nakupenda" (featuring Ric Hassani). The video tells a love story using colourful aesthetics and a dramatic storyline. It portrays Chike as a rich client, who competes with a photographer for the love of a female model. It was directed by Ani James and Aje Film Works.[7]
Reception edit
It was listed as a top Nigerian album of the year 2020.[2][8] It was rated 9.8/10 by Motolani Alake of Pulse Nigeria. [6] Chinonso Ihekire of The Guardian described it as "a brilliant debut that has become an instant classic" adding that it has one superpower: "its ability to make you re-listen over and over, eager to always hear melodies and lyrics that interflow like conjugated rivers of music."[5]
Akindare Okunola of NET considered it the best R&B album since Simi's Omo Charlie Champagne and rated it an 8 out of 10.[3]
It was nominated for Album of the Year at the 2020 Headies Awards. Chike was also nominated for the best vocal performance for "Forgive".[9]
Track listing edit
All tracks are written by Chike
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Beautiful People" | 2:58 |
| 2. | "Nakupenda (feat. Ric Hassani" (Nakupenda is a Swahili word which means I Love You.) | 3:26 |
| 3. | "If You No Love" | 3:34 |
| 4. | "Forever (feat. M.I Abaga)" | 3:54 |
| 5. | "Amen" | 3:40 |
| 6. | "Roju" (Roju is portmanteau of Romeo and Juliet) | 3:18 |
| 7. | "Finders Keepers" | 3:22 |
| 8. | "Insecure" | 3:00 |
| 9. | "Out Of Love" | 3:26 |
| 10. | "Forgive" | 3:24 |
| 11. | "Faithful" | 3:40 |
| 12. | "Running" | 2:27 |
| 13. | "Soldier" | 3:03 |
| 14. | "Watching Over Me (feat. Zoro)" | 3:13 |
| Total length: | 46:00 | |
Charts edit
It charted at number 14 on MTV Base Naija hottest albums of 2020 chart.[10]
References edit
- ^ a b Alake, Motolani (2020-02-14). "Chike of 'Project Fame' and 'The Voice Nigeria' marks Valentine's Day with debut album, 'Boo of The Booless'". Pulse Nigeria. Archived from the original on 2020-02-29. Retrieved 2021-04-04.
- ^ a b Alake, Motolani (2020-12-24). "Here are the top 10 Nigerian albums of the year [Pulse Picks 2020]". Pulse Nigeria. Archived from the original on 2020-12-23. Retrieved 2021-04-04.
- ^ a b Okunola, Akindare (2020-02-19). "Album Review: Chike Is A Master Of Love And Storytelling On 'Boo of the Booless'". Nigerian Entertainment Today. Archived from the original on 2020-02-20. Retrieved 2021-04-04.
- ^ Onabanjo, Adedamola (2020-02-18). "Chike's 'Boo Of The Booless' is A Stellar Debut". The Culture Custodian. Archived from the original on 2020-02-19. Retrieved 2021-04-05.
- ^ a b Ihekire, Chinonso (2020-02-22). "Boo Of The Booless... Chike's Ultimate Love Story". The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News. Archived from the original on 2020-02-22. Retrieved 2021-04-04.
- ^ a b c d e Alake, Motolani (2020-02-17). "On 'Boo of The Booless,' Chike is a dauntless, masterful and amorous painter of pictures [Album Review]". Pulse Nigeria. Archived from the original on 2020-02-18. Retrieved 2021-04-04.
- ^ a b Ihekire, Chinonso (2020-06-27). "Chike experiments with dance of the Booless". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 2020-06-29. Retrieved 2021-04-04.
- ^ Campbell, Preye (2020-08-29). "Top six Nigerian albums/Extended Playlists this year". PM News. Archived from the original on 2020-12-03. Retrieved 2021-04-05.
- ^ "See full list of Headies 2020 award nomination". BBC News Pidgin. Retrieved 2021-04-04.
- ^ "Burna Boy tops the chart on MTV Base Naija hottest albums of 2020". Vanguard. 2020-12-28. Archived from the original on 2020-12-28. Retrieved 2021-04-05.