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Fans are celebrating the third anniversary of Burna Boy’s “I Told Them…”, released on August 25, 2023, as the album continues to make an impact.
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The Grammy-nominated project featured stars including J. Cole, 21 Savage and Dave, while producing fan favourites such as “City Boys” and “Cheat on Me.”
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“I Told Them…” made history as Burna Boy’s first UK No. 1 album and has now surpassed 868 million streams on Spotify.
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The album’s lasting impact has sparked fresh praise from fans, with some describing it as a “classic” and one of Burna Boy’s best projects.
August 25, (THEWILL) — Fans of Nigerian superstar Burna Boy are celebrating the third anniversary of his seventh studio album, “I Told Them…”, released on August 25, 2023.
The album remains one of the biggest projects of Burna Boy’s career, combining Afrobeats, hip-hop and personal storytelling with major international collaborations.
The project featured J. Cole, 21 Savage, Dave, Seyi Vibez, RZA and GZA, and produced songs including “City Boys”, “Cheat on Me”, “Talibans II” and “Giza”.
Since its release, “I Told Them…” has recorded several major milestones across streaming platforms and music charts.
The album opened with 9.395 million Spotify streams in its first 24 hours, reported at the time as the biggest first-day streaming debut for an African artist’s album on the platform.
Its release also pushed Burna Boy’s entire catalogue to 13.7 million streams in one day on August 25, 2023, giving the singer his biggest single-day streaming figure at the time.
The project later crossed 400 million Spotify streams, making Burna Boy the first African artist to have three albums, “African Giant”, “Love, Damini” and “I Told Them…” surpass the milestone.
On Apple Music, the album also recorded strong results. It reached No. 1 on the UK Apple Music Top Albums chart, making Burna Boy the first African artist to have four different albums reach the top of that chart.
The album also tied for the highest position achieved by an African act on the US Apple Music Top Albums chart.
In Nigeria, the project made an immediate impact. Within 12 hours of its release, songs from “I Told Them…” occupied the entire Top 10 of Nigeria’s Apple Music chart, led by “Giza” featuring Seyi Vibez.
The album also became the first African album reported to have 11 tracks simultaneously charting on both the Worldwide and European Apple Music Songs charts.
Beyond streaming and chart records, “I Told Them…” received industry recognition in Nigeria. In October 2023, TurnTable Charts presented Burna Boy with a Platinum certification for the album, as part of a wider presentation of 11 plaques for his music catalogue.
The album has also earned certifications across several markets. “I Told Them…” is certified Platinum in Nigeria and Gold in the UK, Canada and New Zealand, reflecting its strong performance beyond Africa.
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The project also earned Burna Boy a nomination for Best Global Music Album at the 2024 Grammy Awards, further cementing its international recognition.
Three years after its release, fans continue to revisit “I Told Them…” and celebrate the songs and moments that made it a defining project in Burna Boy’s career.
From “City Boys” to “Cheat on Me,” the album continues to connect with listeners, while its streaming numbers, chart achievements and certifications have added to its lasting legacy.
Fans Revisit “I Told Them…” as a Classic
As “I Told Them…” marks its third anniversary, fans have taken to social media to revisit their favourite songs and share their thoughts, showing that the album continues to hold a strong place among Burna Boy’s fans.
@MotionMediaX wrote, “3 years later and ‘City Boys’ is still one of Burna’s biggest records”
@AmpiPhantin also praised the track, saying, “Three years later and City Boys still hits different.”
Other fans highlighted different songs from the album. @hiphop2041 wrote, “That talibans so leave em for me”, while @Ad74351Adedoyin simply commented, “Giza.”
@saintf1lthy described the album as a classic, writing: “Mannn….this album..yo, yall tend to forget and move on easily but this…this right here is a Classic…..a goddamn classic …”
@Owoblowjnr9 shared, “One of my fav albums ever”, while @Rmfc_mu declared, “Biggest album of all time.”
Evi-Ben Ezaga is an entertainment and society writer with a passion for stories that explore culture, people, and the stories shaping society today.
