{"id":481544,"date":"2022-08-05T21:32:26","date_gmt":"2022-08-05T18:32:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/fireboy-dml-can-handle-the-pressure\/"},"modified":"2022-08-05T21:32:26","modified_gmt":"2022-08-05T18:32:26","slug":"fireboy-dml-can-handle-the-pressure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/fireboy-dml-can-handle-the-pressure\/","title":{"rendered":"#Fireboy DML can handle the pressure"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a22c2a28837d\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a22c2a28837d\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/fireboy-dml-can-handle-the-pressure\/#%E2%80%9CFireboy_DML_can_handle_the_pressure%E2%80%9D\" >&#8220;Fireboy DML can handle the pressure&#8221;<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%9CFireboy_DML_can_handle_the_pressure%E2%80%9D\"><\/span>&#8220;Fireboy DML can handle the pressure&#8221;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<div class=\"content_blocks\">\n<style>\n<\/style>\n<style>\n<p> article.custom .custom-title, article.custom .custom-media .caption {\n   color: ;\n }<\/p>\n<p> article.custom .custom-attribution, article.custom .custom-attribution a {\n   color: ;\n }<\/p>\n<\/style>\n<div id=\"content_block-235367\" class=\"content_block flush title center_align\">\n<div class=\"content_inner_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"custom-title\">\n      Fireboy DML can handle the pressure\n    <\/div>\n<div class=\"custom-description\">\n      The Nigerian singer-songwriter digs into his new album <i>Playboy<\/i> on the latest episode of The FADER Interview.\n    <\/div>\n<div class=\"custom-attribution\">\n<div class=\"author\">\n    <span><br \/>\n      By <span class=\"credit_name\">Brandon Callender<\/span><br \/>\n  <\/span><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"custom-media\">\n<div class=\" image center_align\">\n<p>  <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_1440,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/Exclusive_Fireboy_180_1_pqxv06\/fireboy-dml-the-fader-interview.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_220,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/Exclusive_Fireboy_180_1_pqxv06\/fireboy-dml-the-fader-interview.jpg 220w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_300,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/Exclusive_Fireboy_180_1_pqxv06\/fireboy-dml-the-fader-interview.jpg 300w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_400,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/Exclusive_Fireboy_180_1_pqxv06\/fireboy-dml-the-fader-interview.jpg 400w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_600,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/Exclusive_Fireboy_180_1_pqxv06\/fireboy-dml-the-fader-interview.jpg 600w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_750,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/Exclusive_Fireboy_180_1_pqxv06\/fireboy-dml-the-fader-interview.jpg 750w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_840,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/Exclusive_Fireboy_180_1_pqxv06\/fireboy-dml-the-fader-interview.jpg 840w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_960,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/Exclusive_Fireboy_180_1_pqxv06\/fireboy-dml-the-fader-interview.jpg 960w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_1260,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/Exclusive_Fireboy_180_1_pqxv06\/fireboy-dml-the-fader-interview.jpg 1260w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_1800,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/Exclusive_Fireboy_180_1_pqxv06\/fireboy-dml-the-fader-interview.jpg 1800w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_2400,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/Exclusive_Fireboy_180_1_pqxv06\/fireboy-dml-the-fader-interview.jpg 2400w,\" sizes=\"100vw\" alt=\"Fireboy DML can handle the pressure\"><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"img_caption\"><\/p>\n<p>  <span class=\"credit\"><\/p>\n<p>      Benjamin Askinas<\/p>\n<p>  <\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"custom_share_buttons_top \" style=\"\">\n<div id=\"new_socials_bottom\" class=\"new_socials_footer  \">\n<p>      <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thefader.com\/assets\/FDR_SocialSharing_Facebook-747312c39722d47504a80f02500b8d4ad2e36acf922bad1c83799db1bc77f605.png\" alt=\"Fdr socialsharing facebook\"><br \/>\n      <!-- <span>Share<\/span> --><\/p>\n<p>  <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thefader.com%2F2022%2F08%2F05%2Ffireboy-dml-the-fader-interview%3Futm_source%3Df%26utm_medium%3Dtw%26utm_campaign%3Dshare&amp;text=Fireboy%20DML%20can%20handle%20the%20pressure&amp;via=thefader\" class=\"new_social_footer_button twitter new_social_share_button\" data-ga-event-category=\"Social Share\" data-ga-event-label=\"Twitter\" data-ga-on=\"click\" data-ga-event-action=\"cilck\"><\/p>\n<p>    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thefader.com\/assets\/FDR_SocialSharing_Twitter-8d78f695280aa3f8a4461702c68e9fcbfd6042af1600c62d49fdec4b735fb57a.png\" alt=\"Fdr socialsharing twitter\"><br \/>\n    <!-- <span>Tweet<\/span> --><br \/>\n  <\/a><\/p>\n<p>        <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" width=\"20\" height=\"20\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thefader.com\/assets\/logo-snapchat-5f1563935ac089d0cf1773f642ddbfb6cdb16e8c4ac14fec95a3c11b6f963389.svg\" alt=\"Logo snapchat\"><br \/>\n        <!-- <span>Snap<\/span> --><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<style>\n<\/style>\n<div id=\"content_block-235368\" class=\"content_block paragraph text triple_gutter_right triple_gutter_left center_align\">\n<div class=\"content_inner_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"paragraph_wrapper center_align\">\n<p>            <span class=\"lead-text\">\u201cChange,\u201d<\/span> the opening song of Fireboy DML\u2019s new album <i>Playboy<\/i>, begins with a plain-spoken revelation: \u201cMy life dey make more sense as I get older,\u201d he speaks over sweet-sounding keys. Continuing, the Nigerian singer-songwriter opens up about the blessings of his rapidly evolving day-to-day \u2014 global recognition, charting hits \u2014 but these newfound pleasures aren\u2019t without discomfort. Fireboy is unsure if people are using him for his talents, and he\u2019s beginning to feel the pressures that come with having to balance his career as an artist with his personal life. It\u2019s a sobering, clear-eyed reflection on his rapid ascension.<\/p>\n<div class=\"\" style=\"padding-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px; text-align: left;\">\n<\/div>\n<p>            In 2018, Fireboy\u2019s enchanting song \u201c<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=00R4dOtzDIA&amp;ab_channel=FireboyDML\">Jealous<\/a>\u201d was released as part of <i>YBNL Mafia Family<\/i>, a compilation highlighting artists signed to veteran Afrobeats musician Olamide\u2019s YBNL Nation label. The song would be re-released the following year, giving Fireboy his first big break. His debut album \u2014 the tender <i>Laughter, Tears &amp; Goosebumps<\/i> \u2014 would be released later that same year, followed by his sophomore LP <i>Apollo<\/i> in 2020, which pushed his songwriting to new levels of vulnerability and openness. On <i>Playboy<\/i>, out today via YBNL and EMPIRE, he\u2019s ready to show another side of himself, t<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>ing into a more playful and braggadocious persona. It\u2019s maybe best represented by \u201cPeru,\u201d the sticky and sultry jam that earned him his first Billboard Hot 100 entry and was <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=pekzpzNCNDQ\">remixed by Ed Sheeran<\/a>. While Fireboy\u2019s past albums focused more on balladry, <i>Playboy<\/i> puts increased emphasis on his keen pop instincts and irresistible hooks.<\/p>\n<p>            On the eve of <i>Playboy<\/i>\u2019s release, I spoke to Fireboy DML about opening himself up to collaboration, valuing solitude, and Afrobeats\u2019 global takeover.<\/p>\n<div class=\"\" style=\"padding-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px; text-align: left;\">\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<style>\n<\/style>\n<div id=\"content_block-235369\" class=\"content_block breaker triple_gutter_right triple_gutter_left image\">\n<div class=\"media_wrapper\">\n<p>  <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_1440,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/Bandana_Fireboy_htylts\/fireboy-dml-the-fader-interview.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_220,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/Bandana_Fireboy_htylts\/fireboy-dml-the-fader-interview.jpg 220w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_300,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/Bandana_Fireboy_htylts\/fireboy-dml-the-fader-interview.jpg 300w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_400,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/Bandana_Fireboy_htylts\/fireboy-dml-the-fader-interview.jpg 400w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_600,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/Bandana_Fireboy_htylts\/fireboy-dml-the-fader-interview.jpg 600w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_750,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/Bandana_Fireboy_htylts\/fireboy-dml-the-fader-interview.jpg 750w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_840,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/Bandana_Fireboy_htylts\/fireboy-dml-the-fader-interview.jpg 840w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_960,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/Bandana_Fireboy_htylts\/fireboy-dml-the-fader-interview.jpg 960w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_1260,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/Bandana_Fireboy_htylts\/fireboy-dml-the-fader-interview.jpg 1260w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_1800,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/Bandana_Fireboy_htylts\/fireboy-dml-the-fader-interview.jpg 1800w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_2400,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/Bandana_Fireboy_htylts\/fireboy-dml-the-fader-interview.jpg 2400w,\" sizes=\"100vw\" alt=\"Fireboy DML can handle the pressure\"><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"img_caption\"><\/p>\n<p>  <span class=\"credit\"><\/p>\n<p>      Benjamin Askinas<\/p>\n<p>  <\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<style>\n<\/style>\n<div id=\"content_block-235370\" class=\"content_block paragraph text triple_gutter_right triple_gutter_left center_align\">\n<div class=\"content_inner_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"paragraph_wrapper center_align\">\n<p>            <i>This Q&amp;A is taken from the latest episode of The FADER Interview. To hear this week\u2019s show in full, and to access the podcast\u2019s archive, click <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/link.chtbl.com\/thefaderinterview\">here<\/a>.<br \/>\n          <\/i><\/p>\n<div class=\"\" style=\"padding-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px; text-align: left;\">\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<style>\n<\/style>\n<div id=\"content_block-235371\" class=\"content_block paragraph embed triple_gutter_right triple_gutter_left center_align\">\n<div class=\"content_inner_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"media_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"\">\n    <iframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/playlist.megaphone.fm?p=TFI7834680816\" width=\"100%\" height=\"482\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<style>\n<\/style>\n<div id=\"content_block-235383\" class=\"content_block paragraph text triple_gutter_right triple_gutter_left center_align\">\n<div class=\"content_inner_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"paragraph_wrapper center_align\">\n<p>            <b>The FADER: <i>Playboy<\/i> drops tomorrow. How are you feeling right now?<\/b><\/p>\n<div class=\"\" style=\"padding-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px; text-align: left;\">\n<\/div>\n<p>            <b>Fireboy DML:<\/b> Definitely more confident than I felt before I dropped my last two albums. In 2019, when I was about to drop my debut, I was really apprehensive about the future and what it held. But now I feel more confident in my craft\u2026 more balanced and settled in my superstar status. Maybe the nerves haven\u2019t kicked in yet. Hopefully they do.<\/p>\n<p>            <b>I hear that a lot from artists, where it never really sets in until they start seeing all the reactions roll in. Do you read people\u2019s reactions or do you try to stay away from <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">social media<\/a>?<\/b><\/p>\n<p>            I don\u2019t think anyone stays away completely. As a human being, you want feedback. You want to see what people think of your work of art. You\u2019re gonna be online, seeing how people receive your stuff. I\u2019ll be doing a lot of that. I\u2019m not gonna shy away from the internet. I know this is a solid body of work, and I really cannot wait. I\u2019m gonna be outside. The album is about me coming out of my shell, coming out to play. Fans who have known me over the years know I\u2019ve been a reclusive homebody. This time I\u2019m stepping out. I\u2019m gonna be in a club, having some drinks, enjoying myself with the vibes.<\/p>\n<div class=\"\" style=\"padding-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px; text-align: left;\">\n<\/div>\n<p>            <b>Earlier this year, you stepped out on your first headlining tour of the United States.<\/b><\/p>\n<p>            That was amazing. I had some of the best performances of my life on that tour. That\u2019s what opened my eyes \u2014 not just to how far I\u2019ve come as an artist, but also how Afrobeats has gone global. That moment meant a lot to me because I saw fans from different walks of life, different races, different countries <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/trip-and-travel\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"10\" title=\"Trip &amp; Travel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">travel<\/a> thousands of miles just to watch me perform.<\/p>\n<p>            It\u2019s crazy, this generation. We\u2019ve never had this influx of young artists coming out, pushing the culture so globally, at the same time \u2014 I can count at least 15 of us. I\u2019m honored to be in the generation that [brought] Afrobeats to the world. It\u2019s a blessing, and it\u2019s up to us to open bigger doors for the generation coming after us. That\u2019s what Afrobeat has always been about: from Fela to <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/official2baba\/?hl=en\">2Face<\/a> and D\u2019banj down to WizKid, Davido, Burna Boy, Olamide, and now us. That\u2019s something I love: that generational connection where artists reach back into the past. It\u2019s more than just music. It\u2019s about our roots, our identity. It\u2019s about where we come from as artists: different tribes, different connections, different roots. That\u2019s what makes us Afrobeats artists, not necessarily the sound itself.<\/p>\n<div class=\"\" style=\"padding-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px; text-align: left;\">\n<\/div>\n<p>            <b>Do you ever feel intimidated being part of this new wave? Like, \u201cI have to make sure this song is a smash.\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n<p>            I won\u2019t lie: there\u2019s always pressure. That\u2019s what makes you nervous when you\u2019re about to drop an album. You see other people doing this, doing that, dropping bangers. You set some standards for yourself and you can\u2019t afford to lower those standards. But I don\u2019t let that pressure get to me. They get around me, but I never let them get to me. The only kind of pressure I [let] get to me is the one I put on myself. That\u2019s the one that drives me and keeps me going forward. I\u2019ve come to understand that sometimes it\u2019s not just about outdoing yourself; it\u2019s about making great music; it\u2019s about being consistent. That\u2019s my legacy right there. As long as I keep making great [songs], some will be commercially successful, some will not. But after a lot of years, they\u2019ll look back and say, \u201cYo, Fireboy made amazing Afrobeats music.\u201d That\u2019s what it\u2019s all about for me.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"content_block paragraph triple_gutter_right triple_gutter_left\">\n<div class=\"content_inner_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"\" style=\"padding-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px; text-align: left;\">\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<style>\n<\/style>\n<div id=\"content_block-235385\" class=\"content_block breaker triple_gutter_right triple_gutter_left video\">\n<div class=\"media_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"video_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"fluid-width-video-wrapper\" style=\"padding-top: 56.25%;\">\n<p>    <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Fireboy DML -  Change (Official Visualizer)\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/FOdFjEtovU4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><script>\n \/\/trackYouTubeVideo('235385');\n<\/script><\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<style>\n<\/style>\n<div id=\"content_block-235386\" class=\"content_block paragraph text triple_gutter_right triple_gutter_left center_align\">\n<div class=\"content_inner_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"paragraph_wrapper center_align\">\n<p>            <b>\u201cChange\u201d is full of a bunch of different emotions at once: fear, joy, gratitude, skepticism. What kind of changes have you been going through lately?<\/b><\/p>\n<p>            I deliberately started the album with that song to tell the story, to ease them into the kind of life I live now. I\u2019m saying, \u201cPlayboy, I\u2019m outside, I\u2019ve come out of my shell, blah, blah, blah.\u201d But I still have to give them a glimpse of where I\u2019m coming from and why I\u2019m stepping into this life. I recorded that song just when \u201cPeru\u201d had gone number one in the UK. The Ed Sheeran feature made the song a global smash. We were conquering everywhere. Europe was going crazy. The U.S. was going bonkers. I knew my life was about to change in a crazy, crazy way. When your life is about to transcend into another phase, it comes with more challenges, more expectations, more pressure. It\u2019s not always a good thing. You have to express that fear. You have to be true to yourself. That\u2019s what that song is about: introducing them to that doubt I initially had and then throwing them into the life. From the next song up until the song that ends the album, it\u2019s the playboy life. It\u2019s me being in my bag, in my superstar element.<\/p>\n<div class=\"\" style=\"padding-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px; text-align: left;\">\n<\/div>\n<p>            <b>How did you cope with the changes and find ways to address them or grow more comfortable with the uncertain?<\/b><\/p>\n<p>            Most of the challenges that I face as a popular person, I deal with them with solitude. Solitude gives me time to think, to reflect, to be human again after going out there to be a superstar. You\u2019re exchanging different energies. You never know who\u2019s who; you\u2019re paranoid. You\u2019re this, you\u2019re that. When I come back home, I always make sure I find some time to build on my self-awareness. I stay grounded and I never celebrate too much. I tell myself there\u2019s always more; keep working; there\u2019s never enough. I think that\u2019s all you need: solitude. Take some time to yourself to maintain the parts of yourself that make you feel human and you\u2019ll be good.<\/p>\n<p>            <b>Those reflective processes show in your music. How did you learn to be so open and honest about yourself and your experiences?<\/b><\/p>\n<div class=\"\" style=\"padding-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px; text-align: left;\">\n<\/div>\n<p>            I think art will do that to you \u2014 especially music, but anything that helps you express yourself helps you be more honest and open, even when you don\u2019t realize it. I\u2019m not the most open person. I have walls that I build around myself, especially with people and relationships. But when it comes to my music, I\u2019m incredibly honest, because I learned early in my career that honesty is the soul of songwriting. As long as there\u2019s some element of truth in your song, people will relate to it. And when people relate to the song, they\u2019re not just gonna love the song; they\u2019re gonna love you. <\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<style>\n<\/style>\n<div id=\"content_block-235387\" class=\"content_block breaker triple_gutter_right triple_gutter_left video\">\n<div class=\"media_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"video_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"fluid-width-video-wrapper\" style=\"padding-top: 56.25%;\">\n<p>    <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Fireboy DML - Peru (Audio)\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/GP_LpUoNx-I?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><script>\n \/\/trackYouTubeVideo('235387');\n<\/script><\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"content_block paragraph triple_gutter_right triple_gutter_left\">\n<div class=\"content_inner_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"\" style=\"padding-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px; text-align: left;\">\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<style>\n<\/style>\n<div id=\"content_block-235388\" class=\"content_block paragraph text triple_gutter_right triple_gutter_left center_align\">\n<div class=\"content_inner_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"paragraph_wrapper center_align\">\n<p>            <b>I read that \u201cPeru\u201d came out of a long freestyle. Is that normally how you go about writing songs?<\/b><\/p>\n<p>            Kind of. I freestyle, play with the melodies. Most of the time, I write the words in my head before putting them down, but I almost always brush it up. I go back to it a couple of days later, change some lyrics and melodies, properly write and create the song, because making music is an art. But sometimes music is very spiritual. Music is beautiful. Music is freedom. Sometimes music just happens. You\u2019re in the studio 35, 45 minutes. You\u2019re freestyling, putting words together and trying out different melodies. Before you know it, you have a song. Sometimes you don\u2019t have to overthink it. I almost did with Peru: I did not want to release that song. I wanted my team to give me a couple of weeks to brush it up because I felt it was half baked. I\u2019m a perfectionist, but I\u2019ve learned that sometimes, you have to let go and not overthink. Just put it out there.<\/p>\n<p>            <b>How have things changed for you after \u201cPeru?\u201d It exploded out of nowhere, basically.<\/b><\/p>\n<div class=\"\" style=\"padding-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px; text-align: left;\">\n<\/div>\n<p>            More global recognition, international rep and whatnot. But mostly, more listeners. Now the whole world is paying attention to my music, and that means the whole world is paying attention to Afrobeats, because that\u2019s what I represent.<\/p>\n<p>            <b>It still feels like the west is still trying to catch up on Afrobeats. There are so many different polyrhythmic textures going on. You can never predict where a song is going.<\/b><\/p>\n<p>            That\u2019s the beautiful thing about Afrobeats. It\u2019s really no rules, per se. It\u2019s mainly melodies, rhythm, vibes, instrumentation, the energy around the song. The spice I bring to my music is the relatability of the lyrics, the way they just hit you. Sometimes you\u2019re dancing and you hear something that stops you in your tracks, like, \u201cWow, that\u2019s so profound.\u201d The west is catching up, but it\u2019s gonna take time because we are just beginning. They ain\u2019t seen nothing yet.<\/p>\n<div class=\"\" style=\"padding-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px; text-align: left;\">\n<\/div>\n<p>            <b>When I listen to your music, it\u2019s like you\u2019re a real balladeer. And as I keep listening, I notice more things: a line that randomly gets caught in my head, the way you approach saying something. How did that come to be your thing?<\/b><\/p>\n<p>            I started out like every single random Afrobeats artist, sounding like the in thing at the moment \u2014 <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/wandecoal?lang=en\">Wande Coal<\/a>, WizKid. But I realized that if I really wanted to blow up, I needed to find a spice. I looked around and no one was putting much intention into writing. To be fair, Afrobeats has never really been about songwriting. It\u2019s always been about the melodies and the rhythm. But I\u2019ve always been good with words. I studied English. I grew up writing poems, reading books. I still read in my free time. I\u2019m like, \u201cWhy not put this knowledge into your music and see where it gets you?\u201d I decided to start writing the unconventional way: using multisyllabic rhyme schemes, crazy words, things that were not usually heard in Afrobeats at the time.<\/p>\n<p>            That\u2019s how I stood out, but melody is number one in Afrobeats. I never let that thought go. Sometimes, I have to compromise. It\u2019s all about striking a balance between giving them memorable lyrics and memorable melodies.<\/p>\n<div class=\"\" style=\"padding-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px; text-align: left;\">\n<\/div>\n<p>            <b>Who are some of your favorite authors or poets?<\/b><\/p>\n<p>            I love Oscar Wilde. I love fiction; that\u2019s my favorite genre. My favorite writer is Dan Brown. Lately, I\u2019ve been reading a lot of Dean Koontz. I put it up on my Twitter: \u201cDan Brown is probably the best writer of fiction I\u2019ve ever read.\u201d My fans were reacting like, \u201cNah, you haven\u2019t read this, you haven\u2019t read that. Blah, blah, blah.\u201d They recommended some books. I love William Shakespeare. I love Ernest Hemingway.<\/p>\n<p>            <b>You say your intention going into this album was to make it easygoing, playful, showing more sides of yourself. Was that a challenge?<\/b><\/p>\n<div class=\"\" style=\"padding-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px; text-align: left;\">\n<\/div>\n<p>            Yeah. I started making the album in late 2020, early 2021. Around May, I got writer\u2019s block \u2014 my first creative block ever in my life. I panicked. I was all over the place. I thought I\u2019d lost my mojo. I called Olamide, my mentor. He was like, \u201cYo, relax. It\u2019s your first time. I know how it feels. You need to change your environment.\u201d I took a flight to the U.S. for the first time in my life, went to New York, went to a strip club in Miami, had the time of my life. They literally had to drag me out of the strip club, bro. I could not be stopped. I took that energy to San Francisco, where I recorded \u201cPeru,\u201d and I took it with me [when] I flew back to Nigeria and completed the album.<\/p>\n<p>            <b>In an interview earlier this year, you said you didn\u2019t know if you were ever gonna be as vulnerable as you were on <i>Apollo<\/i> again. On <i>Playboy<\/i>, I wouldn\u2019t say you\u2019re being vulnerable in the same way that you were there, but you\u2019re still showing us a softer side.<\/b><\/p>\n<p>            You\u2019re right. This is just a phase. It\u2019s not like I\u2019m permanently transitioning into some kind of demon or bad guy. I\u2019m still that reclusive, thoughtful, relaxed, calm, reserved person. I\u2019ll always be that person. Even when I\u2019m in this zone, I know it\u2019s temporary. I\u2019ll go back into my shell again, but I still might not be able to make that kind of vulnerable album again because it was slept on. I feel like it\u2019s one of those albums they won\u2019t appreciate until maybe 10 years from now. I want it to be that album they can always go back to when they miss that side of me.<\/p>\n<div class=\"\" style=\"padding-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px; text-align: left;\">\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<style>\n<\/style>\n<div id=\"content_block-235389\" class=\"content_block breaker triple_gutter_right triple_gutter_left video\">\n<div class=\"media_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"video_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"fluid-width-video-wrapper\" style=\"padding-top: 56.25%;\">\n<p>    <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Fireboy DML - Glory (Official Visualizer)\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/wb1a_qxCL5U?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><script>\n \/\/trackYouTubeVideo('235389');\n<\/script><\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<style>\n<\/style>\n<div id=\"content_block-235390\" class=\"content_block paragraph text triple_gutter_right triple_gutter_left center_align\">\n<div class=\"content_inner_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"paragraph_wrapper center_align\">\n<p>            <b>I was wondering where you found inspiration for songs like \u201c<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=6RuVVTPolj8\">Need You<\/a>\u201d from <i>Laughter, Tears and Goosebumps<\/i> that are almost acoustic covers \u2014 a step away from your usual mode.<\/b><\/p>\n<div class=\"\" style=\"padding-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px; text-align: left;\">\n<\/div>\n<p>            That\u2019s growth. At the time I recorded <i>LTG<\/i>, I made it based on songs I\u2019d written in my really vulnerable, na\u00efve years: 2016, 2017. Even at the time, after I dropped the album, I was na\u00efve to the fame, na\u00efve to the money, na\u00efve to the women, to the experiences, the relationships I was in.<\/p>\n<p>            It reflected in the music I was making. On <i>Apollo<\/i>, it had been nine months after I\u2019d grown into a superstar, but I was still holding back. And I realized that most of the stories I told on <i>LTG<\/i> were not my stories. I wanted to tell my stories in <i>Apollo<\/i>, which I\u2019ll never do again, by the way. Learned the hard way. It\u2019s been a lot of growth, transitioning from that to this. Someone who\u2019s realized who he is and who is willing to come out and not shy away from the reality that is his life.<\/p>\n<p>            <b>The closing song on this album, \u201cGlory,\u201d is the opposite of \u201cChange.\u201d You\u2019re not fearful anymore. You\u2019re more accepting of everything. You\u2019re like, \u201cThis is who I am now, and I\u2019m not gonna look back.\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n<div class=\"\" style=\"padding-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px; text-align: left;\">\n<\/div>\n<p>            One fun fact about the album is that I made it in a way that you could turn it upside down and it would still make sense. I initially wanted to make \u201cGlory\u201d the intro, but I didn\u2019t wanna just throw [my listeners] into that life. I wanted to ease them into it. That\u2019s why I started with \u201cChange\u201d and ended with \u201cGlory.\u201d When I was recording \u201cGlory,\u201d I was in some God-complex, braggadocio mindspace. But I also wanted to reflect on where I was coming from, because I told some stories about how I struggled on the streets of Lagos tryna make music, tryna make money, tryna to survive on my own without my family, without knowing anyone [there]. Just to inspire people and let them know that I didn\u2019t just come from nowhere to this. This is my villain story.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/p>\n<div class=\"author\">\n    <span><br \/>\n      By <span class=\"credit_name\">Brandon Callender<\/span><br \/>\n  <\/span><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><script async defer src=\"https:\/\/platform.instagram.com\/en_US\/embeds.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more Like this articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/social-media\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Social Media category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thefader.com\/2022\/08\/05\/fireboy-dml-the-fader-interview\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Fireboy DML can handle the pressure&#8221; Fireboy DML can handle the pressure The Nigerian singer-songwriter digs into his new album Playboy on the latest episode of The FADER Interview. By Brandon Callender Benjamin Askinas \u201cChange,\u201d the opening song of Fireboy DML\u2019s new album Playboy, begins with a plain-spoken revelation: \u201cMy life dey make more sense&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":481545,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/c_limit,w_1024\/c_crop,h_519,w_996,x_0,y_161,f_auto,q_auto:eco\/Exclusive_Fireboy_180_vsl75c\/Exclusive_Fireboy_180_vsl75c.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[87525,86827,105545],"class_list":["post-481544","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-social-mediaa","tag-afrobeats","tag-fireboy-dml","tag-the-fader-interview"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/481544","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=481544"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/481544\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/481545"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=481544"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=481544"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=481544"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}