Apr 10

Apr 10 Show Review, Photos: Burna Boy Brings Thrilling "Love, Damini" Tour to Oakland

Burna Boy
Oakland Arena
Oakland, CA
April 8th, 2023

Review and Photos by Jared Stossel

For the last decade, Burna Boy has been making a name for himself. Since the release of 2013’s L.I.F.E., the Nigerian singer-songwriter has been working diligently to secure a spot in pop superstardom. A decade later, he’s released his sixth studio album (2022’s Love, Damini), sells out arenas around the world, and has secured spots on festivals like Coachella (he performs at the festival this weekend on Day 1 with a headlining spot amongst the likes of Bad Bunny and Gorillaz). Love, Damini had the highest debut of any African artist on the Billboard 200, and he is currently set to be the first African artist to headline New York’s Citi Field this summer, which seats almost 42,000. All smiles, he took the stage to a packed house at Oakland Arena on Saturday, April 8th, reveling in the success as he took fans on an escapade through career-defining song after song.

After warm-up sets from DJ Spaceship Billy and DJ Lambo that spanned around two hours, Burna Boy’s backing band (The Outsiders) took to the stage. At 10 PM, the lights finally dimmed, and a roar of applause reverberated throughout the arena walls. A drumline, dancers, and choir emerged on the stage as the performer descended the stairs and a dazzling display of pyrotechnics flared behind him. Burna Boy had the crowd in the palm of his hand as he performed various songs from albums like Love Damini, African Giant, Outside, and L.I.F.E.

What I love about Burna Boy is that the entirety of his performance felt genuine and uniquely his own. In the past, I’ve seen it become commonplace for international artists to try and “assimilate” with whatever is most popular in the American pop culture landscape, in an effort to fit in and become the next big thing. Burna Boy doesn’t do this; his music is a blend of Afrobeat, pop, hip-hop, and soul mixed in one unique package that never once felt tired throughout the ninety-minute performance, and he proudly displays his roots and West African influences in his music. The production of this show was massive, a perfect reflection of the energy and ingenuity that he displayed, jumping around and commanding the audience through each and every track.

It didn’t matter whether he was playing something from last year or from ten years ago; Burna Boy’s Oakland Arena performance was entertaining at every moment, and proof of what happens when you stick to your beliefs, keep your head down and bust your ass to get to the top. I can guarantee that he’ll be headlining stadiums around the country this time next year if his trajectory continues in the way it’s been going.