Afro-fusion artiste, Burna Boy has admitted that he felt disappointed when he lost the 2020 Grammy Awards’ Best World Music award to Beninese-American singer-songwriter, Angélique Kidjo.
In his first attempt to the Grammy, Burna Boy lost to Kidjo who claimed her fourth win in the category and fourth Grammy win overall. Her 2019 album titled Celia earned her the recognition.
Addressing his feelings at the time he lost the award, Burna Boy said although he was disappointed; Kidjo inspired him to do better with Twice As Tall, his recently-released fifth studio album.
“It was a strange feeling of disappointment, not because I needed the clout that came from the Grammys but I felt like I let a whole country/continent down as they had been rooting for me. But Angélique is like my music mother, she helped me realise that I needed to come back twice as tall,” Punch quoted the music star as saying.
Explaining what music means to him, Burna Boy revealed where his music comes from.
His words: Music is a weapon for me. I think what a lot of people don’t realise is that people do music for different reasons. I am not a modern-day musician, I am a spiritual musician. That is why I can say my songs do not come from a place of strategy or gimmicks, it comes from spirits and I am just a vessel.
“Would you believe it if I said I have never picked up a pen and paper and written down a song in my life? I have been blessed because, for me, it all just comes like someone is standing there and telling me what to say. It’s all according to the spirits. I strongly believe that some of us are put on this earth to do what we do.”