Burna Boy - Twice As Tall (2LP)

Burna Boy’s fifth album landed in August 2020, a strange winter for most of us, yet it felt like a window flung open. Twice As Tall carries the punch of a victory lap and the weight of a mission statement. It followed African Giant, which had already taken him to the Grammys, and this time the goal was clear. With Sean Combs, Burna Boy, and his manager and mother Bosede Ogulu credited as executive producers, the record shoots for a bigger stage without losing its Lagos pulse. It went on to win the Grammy for Best Global Music Album at the 63rd ceremony, a milestone that matched the album’s ambition.

The opener, Level Up, pairs Burna with Senegalese legend Youssou N’Dour, and it’s a savvy bit of scene-setting. He casts the climb as both personal and communal, then the record pivots into the swaggering Way Too Big and the joyous Wonderful. Those early tracks feel built for sunlit afternoons, all rubbery bass and clipped percussion, but there’s grit under the polish. Burna’s voice remains his sharpest instrument, switching from a buoyant sing-rap to a grainy, almost confessional tone when a lyric calls for it.

Monsters You Made, with Chris Martin, is the political spine. Burna takes aim at the legacy of colonialism and the systems that shape daily life, and the arrangement leaves plenty of air so his voice can carry the argument. It’s not a lecture, it’s a memory bank, and that makes it sting. Real Life, a bruised conversation with Stormzy, keeps the mood grounded. The beat is patient, the hook aches a little, and both artists lean into empathy rather than bravado. For all the pop reach, the album’s heart sits with these moments where Burna stares back at the world and refuses to flinch.

There’s range to spare. Time Flies with Kenyan band Sauti Sol sways with easy chemistry, the sort of track that sneaks up on you during a late drive and then becomes the one you hunt down the next morning. Onyeka and No Fit Vex are pure charm, playful and light on their feet. Then there’s 23, where he mirrors Michael Jordan’s number with a claim about resilience and craft, folding sports mythology into personal lore. Naughty by Nature show up for a cross-generational handshake that actually works, a reminder that Burna’s Afrofusion toolkit has always included hip hop and dancehall as much as highlife and pop.

A lot was made of Diddy’s involvement, but the more interesting detail is how the album was built across continents during lockdown, with Burna anchored in Nigeria while collaborators chimed in remotely. That distance suits the record’s perspective. He writes like someone who can see the map from above and the street from his window. Nigerian producers shaped much of the sound, and you feel that local logic in the drum patterns and the way the low end pushes everything forward. Even when a chorus feels radio-ready, there’s an unruly streak in the rhythm that keeps your shoulders moving.

If you’re crate-digging for Burna Boy vinyl, Twice As Tall is the one that best captures his jump from regional star to global standard-bearer without smoothing out the edges. The grooves translate beautifully on a turntable, the percussion breathing a little wider, the vocals sitting warmer. It’s also a handy gateway if you’re trying to buy Burna Boy records online and want a set that stands up from front to back. I’ve slipped it on in the shop more than once and watched strangers ask what’s playing by the second chorus of Wonderful.

Critical response matched the fan energy. Reviewers across the UK and US praised the scope and craft, and the Grammy win sealed its place in the story of Afrobeats going truly global. Yet the best measure of its success might be how often people return to it. Tracks like Real Life and Bank On It feel like old friends now, steady companions for late nights and long flights. Play it next to African Giant and you can hear a writer growing bolder, a bandleader trusting the pocket, an artist sharpening his aim.

For anyone hunting Burna Boy albums on vinyl in a Melbourne record store, this is the easy recommendation. If you’re browsing from home, plenty of shops that specialise in vinyl records Australia will have a copy, and a quick search will surface options to buy. However you spin it, Twice As Tall vinyl delivers that rare mix of uplift, bite and replay value. It sounds like a door opening and a page turning, which is exactly what it became.