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What won Fireboy the hearts of listeners is the wholeness with which he bore his heart, telling stories of love, hurt, and dreams of success from the perspective of a rookie motivated by the desire to simply make music that captures his artistic yearnings and originality.
With the mainstream success that followed his debut album 'Laughter, Tears, and Goosebumps (LTG),' Fireboy's music responded to the demands and expectations of a pop star, and he soon shed the cloak of a romantic whose head is in the clouds for choice designer prints of a superstar basking in the flashy and fast life fame affords.
However, the artistic and personal evolution that informed his third album 'Playboy' created a disconnect with those who fell in love with the romantic poet rather than the sweet-talking Lothario.
This disconnect impacted the appreciation of the album. It didn't help that Fireboy didn't quite pull off the bad boy pop star branding needed to seduce listeners to buy into his Playboy era.
While his music still packed the quality of an artist incapable of making a bad song, the heart that draws his core listeners to it was missing, creating questions about his evolution.
These questions are answered on his fourth album 'adedamola', where he readorns the cloak of a romantic for a body of work bearing the heart that shaped his debut album 'LTG'.
On his fourth self-titled body of work, Fireboy embarks on a journey of self-discovery, making music that holds his emotions and offers the familiarity that won him the love and admiration of listeners.
If 'LTG' was the documentation of the yearnings of a talented rookie, 'adedamola' is the work of a pop star skilled in the genre-bending Afropop demands while also showcasing his reach to call on legends and global stars to make an album befitting of his superstar status.
Over 14 tracks, the 28-year-old crafts singles that capture his yearning for romantic love and his struggles with same. He shares the interminable challenges fame brings while making party-starting cuts to propel his commercial push.
With five years in the game, successful albums, notable hit records, several awards, and recognised as one of Nigerian pop music's finest exports, Fireboy has a lot to be thankful for. It's on this note of gratitude that he opens up his fourth project with the folk drums of 'Iseoluwa', where he borrows from the timeless song of Apala icon Musiliu Haruna Ishola.
Loved for the romanticism of his debut album, Fireboy spends a good time renewing this love story on his fourth album with mid-tempo cuts that bear his heart. On the log drum-punctuated 'need me', he owns up to his flaws and promises undying love.
An R&B-influenced artist, this influence shines through Afropop lenses on the sensual 'ecstasy', where Seun Kuti's saxophone solo intensifies the seduction that echoes through his discography with tracks like 'Tattoo' off his sophomore album.
The album's slow-burning opening sequence hits a high note on 'hell and back', where Fireboy channels a swaggering delivery to say good riddance to unrequited love and tumultuous romantic endeavors. This track embodies his masterful Afropop exploration of R&B as he skillfully crafts suitable domesticated (think Afrobeats) writing over a notable heartwarming R&B-arranged record.
On 'letting go', Fireboy calls on Lojay, a man who knows a thing or two about romantic love and the pain it costs. While they stayed within the confines of simple melodies and painless delivery that didn't hit the mark they could easily reach, the song is a perfect fit in a well-sequentialized album.
'back and forth' is a show of Fireboy's abilities and superstar reach as he calls on the legendary mask-wearing Nigerian musician Lagbaja, whose rare presence and signature saxophone deliver a rush of nostalgia that increases the appreciation of their appeal for a drama free of love.
The album's opening half comes to an excellent end on the ballad 'ready', where Fireboy declares his readiness to take on a romantic adventure through a glowing vocal performance next to the mercurially talented American singer Jon Baptiste. It's collaborations such as this that exemplify Fireboy's global status as a singer whose talents have been recognized by notable critically acclaimed musical maestros like Jon Baptiste, Justin Timberlake, PJ Morton, and Madonna.
Fireboy opens the album's second half on a party-starting note with a song that pays tribute to Nigeria's seminal talent Wande Coal in a song crafted for the dancehall. He straddles the worlds of Dance music and Afropop on 'change your life', where he thumps his chest through smooth lamba infusion, which helps the song stick.
'obaa sima' finds its rightful place on the album next to the vibrant 'need me', as Fireboy embraces the superstar life while offering love that comes with a good time. Even his previous release 'yawa dey' gets much-needed context from the album, as Fireboy maintains a desire to live life on his terms, which he has done by making an album for himself.
'adedamola' achieves cohesiveness through R&B and Afropop exploration that leans towards the side of his artistry listeners are most drawn to. It's this yearning and familiarity that grounds the album and makes it a project that doesn't demand much from the artist and listeners.
The similarities this album has with his debut will invariably lead to comparisons over which is the better body of work. In this writer's opinion, 'LTG' deserves to retain its respect and superiority over 'adedamola', notably because of the sheer brilliance of its composition, the heart it holds, and the impact it had as a debut album.
Ratings: /10
• 0-1.9: Flop
• 2.0-3.9: Near fall
• 4.0-5.9: Average
• 6.0-7.9: Victory
• 8.0-10: Champion
Pulse Rating: /10
Album Sequencing: 1.8/2
Songwriting, Themes, and Delivery: 1.5/2
Production: 1.5/2
Enjoyability and Satisfaction: 1.5/2
Execution: 1.7/2
Total: 8.0 - Victory