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Burna Boy is a master of his craft whose dedication to artistry — specifically in his performances — has played a significant role in his rise to stardom.
“People don’t understand that live performances [are] actually my biggest strength,” the Nigerian star told Amaru Don TV in a 2016 interview, per REVOLT. “And I love the fact that they don’t realize that until they see it because it just gives me more of a chance to blow your mind… That’s one thing no one can take away. That, and undeniable music.”
In addition to his electrifying stage presence, Burna Boy has worked with countless renowned directors to ensure that his music videos are up to par with his records. In the same way that there are compelling stories intricately wrapped into his lyrics, the African Giant purposefully uses visuals as another outlet for self-expression.
Check out 15 of Burna Boy’s best music videos below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCPy1jvOp90
The “Dangote” visual begins with a black screen, reading, “The richest man in Africa still goes to work every morning [...]” while Burna Boy sings, “Dangote still dey find money o.” The opening message also pointed out the high employment rate in Nigeria. The music video follows Nigerians from different backgrounds who all tirelessly hustle to make ends meet.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXeOBkKdiAg
The Meji Alabi-directed music video for “Real Life” features twin brothers who live opposite lives. While one is in the streets, the other is in school and has a girlfriend with a daughter and baby on the way. Mistaken for the twin who is caught up in street disputes, the latter ends up losing his life. The visual raises awareness of knife crime in the U.K.
“This video represents the struggle of disadvantaged Black youth in the U.K.,” the music video’s description wrote. “The blurred lines between the road life and real life. The fragility between life and death; and how knife crime/murder often reported like a mere statistic in the media, has longstanding effects on a community.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k33o1IgtUEM
The “Wonderful” music video was a true collaboration between Nigerian powerhouses. Clarence Peters and Alabi worked alongside Director K to develop the video’s creative direction. Set “somewhere in the land of Warriors, Kings and Queens,” the storyline stars Burna Boy who goes from being under attack to being embraced and feeling at home. The visual’s prime focus was African culture, including traditional attire and dance. By the end, the Afrobeats artist is shown standing tall next to a gorilla — seemingly alluding to his “African Giant” persona.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPe09eE6Xio
“Ye” is undoubtedly one of Burna Boy’s biggest hits to date. So, it’s only right that its visuals measure up to the song’s magnitude. The opening scene captures the singer’s “Odogwu” essence, featuring him in a white fur coat while holding bands of money. As he says the line “G-Wagon or the Bentley?,” money surrounds the floor around a black Bentley. In addition to showing Burna Boy as a big boss, director Peters captured the beauty of brown skin in all shades.
On two separate occasions, the music video pays homage to Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti, who is one of the Love, Damini creator’s top influences.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=so4dgTRaWFk
“Anybody” is among Burna Boy’s party anthems; therefore, it no surprise that it’s visual features top tier dancing. Another Peters-directed cut, the visual contains standout scenes that include the award-winning artist and fellow dancers wearing neon face and body paint and neon clothes. The video’s overall vibe is people enjoying themselves to the fullest. Moreover, Burna Boy can be seen dancing from start to finish.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRpBLAwIbeA
Burna Boy and Alabi created what feels like a cinematic experience in the “Monsters You Made” music video. In the beginning, a young boy holds a teddy bear while soldiers revolt against oppression. This seems to symbolize how a child’s innocence can be stolen so early due to injustice. The visual also includes clips from historical moments such as the Ogoni protests in Nigeria and apartheid in South Africa, which ties into Burna Boy’s political statement found in the song’s lyrics.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rOer3k2DWg
The perfect word to describe the “Question” music video is “heartwarming.” Starting off with showing the big smiles of Nigerian children, Burna Boy basks in joy while the kids surround him. Though the TG Omori-directed cut includes a violent scene that shows an antagonist looking to cause trouble, its overall energy shows the joy of youth, and equal happiness from Burna Boy and Don Jazzy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wy_j--ljb9w
Released during Burna Boy’s Twice as Tall album run, the “Way Too Big” visual was fitting for the colossal era. In the video, the Atlantic Records signee portrays a boxer who is set for a match. In another scene, he is shown as himself on top of a massive billboard. Each of the clips in the Alabi-directed visual are to be an example of why he’s “way too big to be f**king with you.”
Burna Boy’s mother, Bose Ogulu, also makes a cameo in the music video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8560CAdA0Ys
In parallel to the song’s lyrics, the visual for “Common Person” continues the theme of Burna Boy returning to his roots. It begins with a young boy sleeping in a room covered in photos of the music star. To his surprise, he wakes up to learn that Burna Boy has arrived in his neighborhood. While there, the Grammy Award-winning artist shows love to both the youth and his elders. Some standout scenes include one where he helps with cooking and another where he dances and sings with young aspiring musicians.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFPfxcvRshk
The opening line of “23” — “The music make me feel I be Jordan” — is represented from the start of the video. A young Black woman with a basketball in her hands sits in a room with NBA legend Michael Jordan’s jersey number found on her shorts and two art pieces on the wall. While “23” is about Burna Boy’s journey of becoming one of the GOATs in the music business, the visuals mainly place the lens on women who are shown excelling at their talents. The closing shot shows the singer-songwriter standing alongside them.
According to Rolling Stone, the music video not only paid homage to Jordan, but also was in honor of Women’s History Month in 2021.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-h7ltwACLs
The “Soke” music video dropped before Burna Boy’s crossover. One of the early scenes of the Mattmax-directed visual features numerous people standing still in a room — including two men playing instruments, two women dancers, a pastor, a mother with her children and a woman carrying bread on her head — who are all within a pan shot. The visual for the fan-favorite track displays some of the typical walks of life in Nigeria, with each person facing the country’s daily challenges.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ecl8Aod0Tl0
While “On the Low” is known as one of Burna Boy’s mainstream songs, its accompanying clip is one of his best due to its simplicity. The intimate music video set and focused on a solo dancer’s infectious energy accurately captures the energy of its accompanying feel-good track. “You know I feel a vibe, you feel a vibe, so baby whine it pon me.” The on-screen chemistry between Burna Boy and “Angelina” is also a major plus. Once again, the Nigerian talent collaborated with Alabi for the isuals.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dW5y-4gKnIE
When Burna Boy steps into his lover boy side, it’s always a sight to see. For the “Onyeka (Baby)” visuals, the dancer from “On the Low” returned as the love interest. In one of the beginning scenes, the two are boo loving while the previous video plays on TV. Along with Burna Boy and “Onyeka (Baby),” the love song’s music video highlights a handful of other beautiful Black couples.
There is also a scene in which Burna Boy and his love interest are in front of a building called “Giant Shop,” which is a reference to the artist’s signature persona as the letters included a drawing of a gorilla.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7WfPHHXCAY
If the song’s lyrics say, “When the gbedu dey enter body / All the gyaldem go shake their body,” there was going to be dancing. In the contrasting sets for the “Gbona” music video, women dressed in African garments dance alongside Burna Boy. Male dancers also join in on the fun.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXNTIMshdak
Unsurprisingly, Burna Boy and those around him are dressed in all-white outfits in the video for “Hallelujah.” Along with the opening scene filmed outside, Burna Boy is shown thanking the Lord for his blessings in a church and on what appears to be a staircase to heaven. The Mattmax-directed visual’s serene scenery combined with Burna Boy’s praise makes this music video one of his best.
