Fireboy DML
Nigerian singer From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Adedamola Oyinlola Adefolahan (born 5 February 1996),[2][3] known professionally as Fireboy DML, is a Nigerian singer and songwriter. In 2018, he signed a record deal with YBNL Nation, a record label founded by rapper Olamide.[4] His debut studio album, Laughter, Tears and Goosebumps, was released in 2019.[4] He won Listener's Choice and was nominated for Song of the Year for "Jealous" at the 2020 Soundcity MVP Awards Festival.[3] His third studio album, Playboy, entered the Billboard 200 at number 123. His latest album, Adedamola, was released in 2024.
Fireboy DML | |
|---|---|
Fireboy DML in 2019 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Adedamola Oyinlola Adefolahan[1] |
| Born | 5 February 1996 Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2014–present |
| Labels | |
| Website | fireboydml |
Early life
Fireboy DML was born and raised in Abeokuta, Ogun state, and was a member of his church choir.[5] He developed an interest in music while studying at Obafemi Awolowo University, where he graduated with a bachelor's degree in English. He moved to Lagos to pursue music as a full-time career.[6]
Career
Summarize
Perspective
2018-2020: Debut and Apollo
His breakthrough single "Jealous" first appeared on YBNL Nation's collaborative album, YBNL Mafia Family (2018), before being re-released on 25 March 2019.[7][8] The song is composed of guitar riffs, traditional drums and percussion; it combines African harmonies with elements of country and soul music.[7][5] "Jealous" was produced by Cracker Mallo and is centered around love and the complicated feelings that go along with it.[5] The visuals for "Jealous" were directed by Director K.[7]
In June 2019, Fireboy DML released the ballad single "What If I Say".[9] It was produced by Pheelz, who incorporated a mix of percussion, ambient synth harmonies, and a drum riff into the production[10] and plugged by Olaitan.[11] The visuals for "What If I Say" was directed by TG Omori.[10] On 1 August 2019, Fireboy DML released another single titled "King", where he declares his worth to his love interest.[12][13] The accompanying music video for "King" was directed by TG Omori; it contains images of Fireboy and his love interest in a rose petal embellished Rolls-Royce, and images of him singing at a fashion show where models walk on a runway.[13]
Fireboy released his debut studio album, Laughter, Tears and Goosebumps, on 29 November 2019. It was initially scheduled for release on 25 November.[14] The album's music is a brand of R&B that combines love and social issues with empirical songwriting.[14] LTG comprises 13 tracks and doesn't feature any guest artist; it amassed over 6 million streams on Spotify three days after its release.[15][16] It received generally positive reviews from music critics, but was criticized for being labeled an "Afro-Life" record instead of an R&B album. LTG was supported by the previously released singles "Jealous", "What If I Say", and "King".[17] The single "Vibration" was a fan favourite.
On 17 August 2020, Fireboy unveiled the tracklist to his sophomore studio album, Apollo.[18] Ivie Ani of Pitchfork gave the album an 8.3 rating out of 10, calling it "the peak of his vision so far, a melodious, detailed, and effortless album of feel-good pop and R&B".[19] NotJustOk wrote: "At the base of his writing is a deep-seated knack for introspection, the desire to be himself and a whole others like himself, spinning personal and borrowed accounts of existential crisis, ambition, love, lust and depression."[20]
In 2021, Fireboy released the single "Peru," which Music in Africa wrote "affirms [his] Afrobeats intelligence."[21] He was featured on Ladipoe's hit "Running"[22] and WSTRN's single "Be My Guest",[23] and Cheque's single "History". He made a musical appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, performing a medley of his songs "Vibration" from Tears, Laughter and Goosebumps, and "Champion" from Apollo.[24]
On 24 December 2021, he released a remix version of "Peru" with Ed Sheeran, which debuted at number 53 on the United States' Billboard Hot 100 chart and peaked at number 2 on the United Kingdom's Official Singles Chart in 2022. It became certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[25][26][27]
2022-present: Collaborations, Playboy and Adedamola
On 3 March 2022, Fireboy was featured on the Sickick remix to Madonna's 1998 single "Frozen".[28] The official music video was filmed on the same day. On 6 July 2022, Fireboy announced via his official Twitter account that his third studio album entitled Playboy[29] would be out by 5 August 2022.
In 2024, Fireboy was featured on the Justin Timberlake song "Liar", appearing on Timberlake's sixth studio album Everything I Thought It Was.[30][31] He released his fourth studio album, Adedamola, on 29 August 2024. The album featured prominent Nigerian and international artists such as Lagbaja on “Back n Forth" and Jon Batiste on “Ready” and “Jon’s Interlude”.[32]
Artistry
Fireboy describes his sound as "Afro-Life" and said he writes songs that audiences can relate to.[5] Alphonse Pierre of Pitchfork characterized his sound as "slow-groove pop" and stated it "tells stories about love with the formulaic structure of a Hallmark Christmas romance".[33]
He has cited Jon Bellion, Passenger, and Wande Coal as his key contemporary influences.[5]
In popular culture
In 2020, Fireboy DML gained media coverage in Nigeria when his hit single "Champion" was used by FC Bayern Munich for their UEFA Super Cup celebrations.[34]
His song "Scatter" from his debut album Laughter, Tears and Goosebumps was included in the FIFA 21 game soundtrack.[35]
In November 2022, his song, "Coming Back For You," was included on the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack.[36]
Fireboy DML received a plaque as he joins Beyoncé, Rihanna, Ed Sheeran, Wizkid, Jay-Z, The Beatles, Adele and Elton John on the list of Artistes who have sold out London's most iconic venue, Royal Albert Hall.[37]
Discography
Studio albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| US [38] | ||
| Laughter, Tears and Goosebumps[39] |
|
— |
| Apollo[40] |
|
— |
| Playboy |
|
123 |
| Adedamola |
|
— |
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||
EPs
Singles
As lead artist
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAN [43] |
FRA [44] |
IRE [45] |
SWE [46] |
SWI [47] |
UK [48] |
UK Indie [49] |
US [50] |
US World [51] |
WW [52] | ||||||
| "Jealous" | 2018 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Laughter, Tears and Goosebumps | |||
| "What If I Say" | 2019 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| "King" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| "New York City Girl" | 2020 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Apollo | |||
| "Eli" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| "Tattoo" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| "Champion" (with D Smoke) |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| "Peru" (solo, with Ed Sheeran, or with 21 Savage and Blxst) |
2021 | 37 | 40 [53] | 7 | 35 | 31 | 2 | 13 | 53 | 2 | 34 | Playboy | |||
| "Running" (with Ladipoe)[56] |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Providence | ||||
| "Beauty & the Madness" (with Rexx Life Raj and Wale)[57] |
2022 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album single | |||
| "Playboy"[58] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Playboy | ||||
| "Bandana" (with Asake) |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| ||||
| "Someone"[59] | 2023 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Someone | |||
| "Everyday"[60] | 2024 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album single | |||
| "Heavy Heart" (with Loco Dice and Skrillex)[61] |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | TBA | ||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||||||||||||||
As featured artist
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Dance [62] | |||
| "Frozen (Fireboy DML remix)" (Madonna vs Sickick featuring Fireboy DML) |
2022 | 12 | Non-album singles |
| "Me and My Guitar" (Jax Jones featuring Fireboy DML) |
2023 | — | |
| "Drink Water" (Jon Batiste featuring Jon Bellion and Fireboy DML)[63] |
— |
Guest appearances
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Liar" (Justin Timberlake featuring Fireboy DML) |
2024 | — | Everything I Thought It Was |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award ceremony | Prize | Recipient | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | The Headies | Next Rated | Himself | Nominated | [64] |
| Viewer's Choice | Nominated | ||||
| Song of the Year | "Jealous" | Nominated | |||
| City People Music Awards | Most Promising Act of the Year | Himself | Won | [65] | |
| Best New Act of the Year | Nominated | ||||
| Revelation of the Year | Nominated | ||||
| 2020 | Soundcity MVP Awards Festival | Song of the Year | "Jealous" | Nominated | [66] |
| Listeners' Choice | Fireboy DML for "Jealous" | Won | |||
| Best New MVP | Himself | Nominated | |||
| Mobo Award | Best African Act | Himself | Nominated | ||
| The Headies | Album of the Year | Apollo | Won | [67][68] | |
| Best Pop Album | Won | ||||
| Best R&B Album | "Tears, Laughter and Goosebumps" | Won | |||
| Best R&B Single | "Tattoo" | Won | |||
| Headies Revelation | Fireboy DML | Won | |||
| 2021 | African Entertainment Awards USA | Song of the Year | "Peru" | Nominated | |
| All Africa Music Awards | African Fan's Favourite | Himself | Won | ||
| NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding International Song | "Peru" | Nominated | [69][70] | |
| The Future Awards Africa | Prize for Music (Endowed by Infinix) | Himself | Nominated | [71] | |
| 2022 | The Headies | Best Songwriter of the Year | "Peru" | Nominated | [72] |
| Best Afrobeat Single (Nigeria) | Won | ||||
| Song of the Year | Nominated | ||||
| Viewer's Choice | Himself for "Peru" | Nominated | |||
| Mobo Award | Best African Act | Himself | Nominated | ||
| BET Awards | Best International Act | Himself | Nominated | [73] |
References
External links
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