Three years ago, on August 25, 2023, Burna Boy released “I Told Them…”, a 15-track album that arrived at a pivotal point in the Nigerian superstar’s international rise.
Coming after the Grammy-winning Twice As Tall and the commercially successful Love, Damini, the project was positioned as another statement from an artist increasingly comfortable moving between Afrobeats, hip-hop, R&B and global pop.
Three years later, I Told Them… stands as one of the defining albums of Burna Boy’s career, producing major chart records, Grammy recognition, international hits and a blockbuster touring era.
I Told Them… featured 15 songs, including “I Told Them,” “Normal,” “On Form,” “Sittin’ on Top of the World,” “Tested, Approved & Trusted,” “Cheat on Me,” “Virgil,” “Big 7,” “Dey Play,” “City Boys,” “Giza,” “Jewels,” “If I’m Lying,” “Thanks” and “Talibans II.”
The album also brought together an impressive collection of international and African collaborators, including 21 Savage, Dave, J. Cole, Seyi Vibez and Byron Messia, while hip-hop legends RZA and GZA were also connected to the project’s creative world.
Songs such as “City Boys,” “Sittin’ on Top of the World” and “Cheat on Me” became some of the era’s biggest records, while “Big 7” and “On Form” helped reinforce the confident, larger than life persona that has become synonymous with Burna Boy.
One of the album’s biggest achievements came almost immediately after its release.
I Told Them… debuted at No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart, making Burna Boy the first-ever international Afrobeats artist to achieve a UK No. 1 album.
The achievement was particularly significant because it represented a steady progression in Burna’s UK chart history.
His previous albums had peaked at:
- African Giant — No. 16
- Twice As Tall — No. 11
- Love, Damini — No. 2
- I Told Them… — No. 1
Official Charts records I Told Them… with one week at No. 1 and 16 weeks on the UK Albums Chart.
The album also reached No. 1 on the UK Albums Streaming Chart, further demonstrating the strength of its streaming audience in the market.
The project also made an impact in the United States.
I Told Them… debuted at No. 31 on the Billboard 200, giving Burna Boy another Top 40 appearance on the US albums chart.
The album remained on the Billboard 200 in the weeks following its debut, reflecting the growing ability of Afrobeats projects to compete within the wider American music market.
Perhaps the most significant recognition from the I Told Them… era came at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards.
The album and its songs earned Burna Boy four Grammy nominations, making it a career-high at the time.
The nominations were:
- Best Global Music Album — I Told Them…
- Best Global Music Performance — “Alone”
- Best Melodic Rap Performance — “Sittin’ on Top of the World” featuring 21 Savage
- Best African Music Performance — “City Boys”
“City Boys” was particularly historic because it was nominated in the inaugural Best African Music Performance category at the Grammys.
The nominations also demonstrated the album’s versatility. Burna was being recognized not only within the global music category but also in a rap category and the newly introduced African music category.
At the ceremony, Burna Boy further brought the I Told Them… era to the Grammy stage, performing “City Boys” and “Sittin’ on Top of the World,” with 21 Savage and Brandy joining him for the latter.
The album’s most prominent crossover moment came through “Sittin’ on Top of the World,” Burna Boy’s collaboration with 21 Savage built around Brandy’s classic “Top of the World.”
The song represented a different side of Burna’s sound, leaning further into hip-hop and R&B while maintaining his own musical identity.
Its Grammy nomination for Best Melodic Rap Performance placed Burna Boy alongside major American rap stars and further illustrated the increasingly blurred boundaries between Afrobeats and mainstream US music.
If “Sittin’ on Top of the World” represented Burna’s crossover ambitions, “City Boys” represented his unapologetic confidence.
The song became one of the defining records of the I Told Them… era and earned a nomination for Best African Music Performance at the 2024 Grammys.
Its inclusion in Burna Boy’s Grammy performance also gave the song another major global platform.
The I Told Them… era extended well beyond streaming and charts.
The accompanying “I Told Them…” Tour eventually became one of the biggest touring runs ever recorded for an African artist.
According to Touring Data figures reported by Billionaires.Africa, the tour generated $30.46 million from 302,801 tickets across 22 reported shows.
One of its biggest moments came at London Stadium on June 29, 2024, where Burna Boy reportedly grossed $6.15 million from 58,973 tickets.
The touring numbers are particularly important because they show that I Told Them… was not simply a successful streaming project. It translated into significant demand for Burna Boy as a live performer across North America and Europe.
The significance of I Told Them… becomes even clearer when viewed alongside Burna Boy’s previous projects.
His UK album progression went from No. 16 with African Giant to No. 11 with Twice As Tall, then No. 2 with Love, Damini before I Told Them… finally reached No 1.
Three years on, I Told Them… feels less like an isolated successful album and more like another chapter in Burna Boy’s transformation into a global superstar.
