When Adekunle Gold announced that he was naming his upcoming album ‘FUJI,’ my initial reaction was that of both excitement and a little skepticism.
I was glad that one of Afrobeats’ most innovative stars was finally going to take on the responsibility of curating a contemporary fuji-inspired album. Yet I found myself wondering if the album will be Fuji music essence or only in the title.
Imagine my joy when two tracks into the project, and it’s already a Fuji music extravaganza. Ahead of its release, Adekunle Gold said he wanted to make a project that soundtracks his childhood, and he spared no expense in bringing his vision to life.
All through the album, he broadens our enjoyment of Fuji music through Pop offerings that pay homage to the sound and its leading icons.
A superstar, Adekunle Gold, teams up with Davido, brings American star 6lack into a tender Fuji and Amapiano hybrid, and splurges on some of the most expensive samples yet in Afrobeats.
From having his superstar wife essentially moan his name and hail him as the Godfather on ‘Don Corleone’ to interpolating the classic Yinka Ayefele record on ‘Many Men,’ Fuji the album carried enough of Fuji, the sound.
After a first spin of the album, all the tracks stand out and offer something exciting, but I have shortlisted the top 5 that had me stuck on them for the longest.
1. Don Corleone
Like a true Godfather in Hollywood movies, Adekunle Gold has walked his own lane and consistently reinvented himself to stay in touch with the times.
He celebrates his win with the confidence of a boss of all bosses on track 2 ‘Don Corleone’, where he leans into the flamboyance of Fuji music while having a superstar wife whisper his name in adulation of a man who gets the job done in every room.
2. Many People
Yinka Ayefele is the king of tungba music, and Adekunle Gold links up with him to deliver a hit that takes from time-tested tungba drums and the modern fusion of pop and rap.
Get ready to party like it’s 2025 while soaking in the nostalgia of the music that soundtrack your 2000s.
3. Believe
Sampling Grover Washington and Bill Whether’s ‘Just The Two Of Us’ is surely not cheap. Adekunle Gold makes it clear that, as the Godfather, he splurges on art that caters to his status with a beautiful fusion that emotionally conveys his journey to the top.
4. Love Is An Action
Adekunle Gold shows his genre-fluid writing on this hybrid of Fuji and Amapiano, where he delivers melodies and tonal inflections that are categorically Fuji.
American Grammy-nominated star 6lack adds a global pop feel that tweaks the streaming algorithm and takes it to an urban audience.
5. Only God Can Save Me featuring Davido
Adekunle Gold and Davido reconnect to deliver another feel-good record where the groovy strings combine with waist-swirling drums.
The superstars share the unique challenge of the superstar life, like the plethora of women at their disposal, chasing money, and finding the right one. But they don’t let these worries deter them. They party like stars do.
