Afro-fusion singer, Burna Boy is receiving wide praise after he put on an electric performance at New York’s Madison Square Garden on Thursday.
Amid a hyped crowd, inventive arrangements, political anthems, and flying underwear, the beloved Afro-fusionist became the first Nigerian to headline the famed venue.
Themed One Night In Space, the concert saw the legendary singer create magic on stage with the support of special guests such as Busta Rhymes and Youssou N’Dour.
Busta Rhymes did a quick spoken introduction and the Senegalese legend, Youssou N’Dour ushered in the show with his song, New Africa.
The show reimagined Burna’s lengthy catalog, elevating already excellent songs.
It found the artiste as urgent as ever, performing a barrage of songs while only stopping to drink water or address his fans a few times.
Burna’s frequent employ of an acappella or minimalist arrangement meant the eager fans could often be heard singing along with him clearly, their voices as sweet as his smile.
Interestingly, the acclaimed African Giant earned his metaphorical flowers — and his very literal bras — as he ripped through a majestic two hour set at MSG.
A number of female fans who graced the occasion decided to show the singer some love and appreciation by ‘stoning’ him with their bras.
The first fire engine red bra was thrust onstage at the beloved Afro-fusionist early in his set as he performed Rock Your Body from his breakthrough album, 2018’s Outside.
“Feel free to throw some more,” he encouraged after the first bra toss.
By the end of the night, no less than six more had been flung at him — at one point, he hung several around his waistline like a utility belt.
Burna Boy joins Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley, The Beatles, Adele, Rihanna, Jay-Z, Justin Bieber, Mariah Carey on the list of artistes, who have sold out the world’s most famous arena.
In addition to selling out Madison Square Garden, the concert attracted more than 81,000 viewers who watched the show live on YouTube. Fans across the world, including Nigeria, United Kingdom, Australia and Canada, tuned into the live stream.
Burna Boy, whose real name is Damini Ogulu, took to Twitter after the show to express his gratitude for New York.
“The Journey in NY has been a blessing,” he wrote. “PlayStation theatre in 2017, Gramercy theatre in 2018, The Apollo in 2019 and Today 2022 we are in MADISON SQUARE GARDEN. Thank you NEW YORK for sticking with me all these years through this great Journey. Love, Damini,” he tweeted.
Business Day reports that Burna Boy rakes in over N3 billion from the concert.
Meanwhile, Burna Boy’s next album, Love, Damini would drop on his 31st birthday, July 2.
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