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- In a recent Instagram post, Burna Boy dropped a message aimed to advise fellow Nigerian artistes
- He cautioned them not to be deceived by Twitter polls and "Naija social media fans", stating they won't fill up stadiums
- This post, however, was seen as a subtle shade to Wizkid and Davido by netizens, who have also expressed their opinion on the post
Afrobeats superstar Damini Ogulu, popularly known as Burna Boy, has taken to social media to spark a heated debate among fans and fellow artistes.
In a series of cryptic messages on his Instagram story @brunagram, Burna Boy issued a stern warning to fellow Nigerian musicians, stating,
"Dear artists, Don't let twitter polls and 'Naija social media fans' deceive you. They won't fill up any stadium for you in any part of the world." This message has ignited a reaction from netizens, and in addition to his warnings, he also shared a striking post featuring large sums of money in euros, which cast light on the financial realities of the music streaming landscape in Nigeria.
He shared a stark comparison of streaming revenue, claiming,
"1000000 Nigerian streams = $300/$400, 1000000 UK streams £3000/£4000, 1000000 US streams $3000/$4000, 1000000 euro streams = €3000/€4000." He concluded with an admonition: "Your song being number 1 on any streaming platform in Nigeria is not something to celebrate. Aim higher or do other businesses on the side. I type with love. #NoSignOfWeakness."
Netizens weigh in on Burna Boy's posts
The reactions from fans have been anything but uniform. Many interpreted Burna Boy’s posts as a direct response to recent controversies surrounding concert attendance, speculating that he may have aimed jabs at Wizkid, who faced criticism for not selling out a stadium during one of his performances. Others thought his remarks were to subtly criticise Davido.
@Obaji_esq believed that Burna Boy’s post was meant for Wizkid and his fan club, stating, “Na Wizkid FC and Wizkid e dey talk to 🤣🤣. Na wizmid fc and Wizkid e dey talk to cos Na them dey win twitter and social media polls 🤣🤣 .”
Another social media user @chinweke1 expressed disbelief over his post, stating,
“I thought he’s cool with wizkid, why shading him? Mind you, none of the Big 3 have actually filled up a stadium. Those are arena-sized audiences inside a stadium—stop the cap.”
Other social media users who believed it was also a subtle jab at Davido expressed their sentiments. @swankylion1 wrote “😹😹😹@davido catch uour sub asap 😂😂.”
@Nuggetman1 wrote; “So the buzz David is getting atm is already getting to him.”
“He don start to dey cook Dafido again 😹.” @iamlegacyfund added.
Some agreed with the post, citing a linkable instance from two different artistes, Buju and Seyi Vibes, @CFCDarlington1 wrote, “Na so them dey deceive buju and seyi vibes.”
Compounding the discourse, some fans believed that Burna Boy’s words reflect his feelings about the global recognition he has achieved.
@AfrokonnectNG also reiterated the artiste's stance, highlighting the harsh realities of ‘stanship’ from fans, stating,
“Yeah, Burna Boy’s message hits hard, and I totally get why you’d say it’s a sad day for outsiders in Nigeria. He’s calling it like he sees it—warning artists not to let the noise from Twitter polls and Nigerian social media fans mess with their heads.
“And he’s right, those platforms can be a hype machine one day and a teardown the next, but they don’t translate to real-world success like filling stadiums.
“It’s a harsh reality check for anyone banking on that kind of validation to make it big in Nigeria’s scene. You can feel the frustration in his words, and it’s a tough pill for outsiders who might’ve thought that online love would open doors. What do you think this means for artists trying to break into the Nigerian market now?”
Others called him out, suggesting that his global recognition was gotten from the social media fans that he downplayed. @Jamesokafor wrote:
“Lamba it's the same people they helped him
Gain a global audience he should calm down.”
Some believed that his post was a result of his upcoming concert in France not getting the numbers he expected.
@TRUST_PDP wrote:
“From this post I don understand burna message he is trying to tell us he don sell out that stadium.”
Burna Boy's thought-provoking messages have elicited varied opinions from fans and industry insiders alike.
More reactions trail Burna Boy's cryptic message
@Mryam20 wrote: “We sabi who get sub 😂.”
@ikxchvzkwv wrote: “And he's absolutely right. No Nigerian artiste can sellout Moshood Abiola Stadium.”
@Christi73286719 wrote: “This is actually a good advice for artistes especially upcomers....but as usual cs don turn am to fandom war.”
@Bami______ wrote: “We know the Fanbase that always win pols,but their fave cancels tours all the time😭Which fanbase Dey always win Twitter pols and who canceled shows in the last 2yrs,even if you’re dvmb,you suppose see say wizkid get that sub,this one is not even bant,just some obvious truth🤣🤣.”
@_OnosOnos wrote: “We all know Wizkid is the only one winning every twitter poll.. also, burna is definetely referring to people clowning his recent releases not doing well in Nigeria.”
@d_realnl wrote: “Dem talk say dem get money pass obo all the money dem get no reach obo mummy property wey he no touch.”
@GrokProfit wrote: “Wizkid didn’t quite fill the UK stadium back in 2023, so Burna Boy came with the shade — all ‘cause FC keeps running laps around everyone in those Twitter polls!”
@THA_MAGICIAN1 wrote: “Just imagine people with certified songs in uk and us and other parts of the world. Like 500k sales damn. That’s mad money oo😂. How many streams to get gold certified from us?”
@alakijadon1 wrote: “walai nah Davido and 30bg get this sub 😂.”
@Wabisabi_MMM wrote: “I just know that Olamide and burna poll pissed him off.’
I'm not an activist, Burna Boy explains after fans called him out
Earlier, TheRadar reported that Nigerian Afrobeats singer Damini Ogulu, Burna Boy, was called out by fans for not lending his voice to the ongoing #EndBadGovernanace protest in the country.
Burna Boy cleared the air in a video following criticisms suggesting that he was hypocritical about the activist messages in his songs. In the four-minute Instagram live video posted on X (formerly Twitter) on August 1, the 33-year-old singer noted that he never mentioned that he was an activist to anyone.