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Fireboy DML explains why he dedicated a song to Wande Coal on his new album
Nigerian star singer, songwriter, and performer Adedamola Adefolahan, known as Fireboy DML, has shared the inspiration behind mirroring Wande Coal on a track from his latest album, “Adedamola.”
In an interview with Apple Music, Fireboy discussed his studio session with the legendary Lagbaja.
The YBNL/Empire artist recently released his 14-track fourth studio album, featuring iconic Nigerian Afrobeat and Traditional Folk musician Lagbaja, Grammy-winning American soul singer Jon Batiste, Afrobeat veteran Seun Kuti, Afrobeats star Lojay, and award-winning Nigerian DJ Spinall.
The album also includes a track that pays tribute to Nigerian Afropop star Wande Coal.
Speaking with South African media personality Nandi Madida on Apple Music Africa Now, Fireboy explained why he dedicated the song titled “Wande’s Bop” to Wande Coal.
The track, co-produced by DJ Spinall and Semzi, is one of the standout hits on the album, perfectly capturing the essence of Wande Coal, whom Fireboy, along with other new-age Afropop and Afrobeats artists like Wizkid, Oxlade, and Joeboy, often refer to as “the source.”
Fireboy noted that the song and the album as a whole are a tribute to the legends who have shaped African music over the years, which is why he collaborated with high-profile names like Lagbaja, Seun Kuti, and Wande Coal on this project.
He said:
“I recorded that in 2021 I think, in SPINALL’s studio in Lagos. I was like, “When the time is right, this record will come out”—it just made a lot of sense. I listened to the beat once and it just immediately took me back to 2015-2016, when I was listening to one of Wande Coal’s records. It just sounded like something Wande Coal would love, something he would have loved to have spit on. I was like, “What would Wande of 2016 do? Let me just try that.” It’s sort of like a tribute to him; [everyone] knows I respect him so much.
This whole album is more like a tribute to all the legends that shaped African music over the years, and also a testament to myself, of course, and my growth over the years.”