Fireboy DML arrives in a red suit, blood-stained bandages, and a licence plate that simply reads ZUKO. That cinematic teaser was the first signal that his fifth studio album was something different, and now ZUKO! is out on all streaming platforms via YBNL Nation and EMPIRE.
The 13-track project lands just a year after Adedamola, which featured the likes of Jon Batiste, Seun Kuti, Lagbaja, and Lojay. This time around, Fireboy casts a wide net of collaborators. Judah Earl opens things up on Dear Father, Lojay returns on GODDESS, Jamaican dancehall artist Masicka shows up on CLAAT!, and South African acts JAZZWRLD and Thukuthela bring their energy to IMALI.
The rollout gave fans a taste of the sonic range. CLAAT! dropped first on August 7, and IMALI followed, blending Fireboy's melodies with South African 3-step and Afro-house grooves. The full tracklist also includes By Fire!, C'est la vie, One Man Regiment, Kilowi, Onazo!, Light of Dawn, Mimi Nawe, and the closer Fighting.
Since joining YBNL in 2018, Fireboy has built a catalog that moves from Laughter, Tears and Goosebumps to Apollo to Playboy, the album that gave the world Peru. ZUKO! is the next chapter, and it sounds like he is just getting started.
Originally published by NotJustOk.