Nigerian singer Fireboy DML has unveiled the tracklist for his fifth studio album, ZUKO!, scheduled for release on Friday trough YBNL Nation and EMPIRE.
The 13-track project features Nigerian artistes Lojay and Judah Earl, Jamaican dancehall singer Masicka, and South African-linked acts JAZZWRLD and Thukuthela.
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The announcement comes two years after the release of Adedamola, Fireboy’s fourth studio album, which explored more personal themes and featured collaborations with international and African artistes.
The tracklist leans into a mix of Afrobeats, dancehall, and Southern African musical influences, building on the sounds explored in the album’s pre-release singles.
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Full tracklist
The tracklist for ZUKO! comprises:
“DEAR FATHER” featuring Judah Earl
“BY FIRE!”
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“CLAAT!” featuring Masicka
“GODDESS” featuring Lojay
“C’EST LA VIE”
“IMALI” featuring JAZZWRLD and Thukuthela
“ONE MAN REGIMENT”
“KILOWI”
“ONAZO!”
“S.L.U.T (SEX LOVE UNDERSTANDING TRUST)”
“LIGHT OF DAWN”
“MIMI NAWE”
“FIGHTING”
Singles set the tone
Two songs have already previewed the album’s musical direction.
“CLAAT!”, featuring Masicka, introduced a dancehall influence, while “IMALI”, featuring JAZZWRLD and Thukuthela, draws on Southern African sounds associated with 3-step and Amapiano.
Fireboy described “IMALI” as the final single before the album’s release. The song also entered the Official Nigeria Top 100 chart.
The collaborations point to a project that extends beyond the predominantly introspective direction of Adedamola, bringing together sounds from different African music scenes and the Caribbean.
The inspiration behind ‘ZUKO!’
The album’s title references Prince Zuko, a character in the animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender whose story centres on exile, identity, self-discovery and redemption.
Fireboy’s promotional campaign draws on the reference, featuring striking red-themed imagery, a tailored red suit, and cinematic visuals.
The singer has also released THE RED COUCH SESSION: ZUKO! content on YouTube as part of the album rollout.
Although the full project is yet to be released, the title and promotional materials suggest a concept-driven era for the singer. The extent to which the character’s journey informs the album’s lyrics and themes will become clearer upon its release.
Building on ‘Adedamola’
Since emerging into the Nigerian music scene, Fireboy has built a catalogue spanning melodic Afrobeats, contemporary R&B influences and internationally oriented pop sounds.
He released his debut album, Laughter, Tears and Goosebumps, in 2019, featuring songs including “Jealous” and “Vibrations”.
READ ALSO: Asake, Wizkid, Seyi Vibez, Burna Boy, Davido are most- most-streamed artistes in Nigeria since 2021- Spotify
He followed it with Apollo in 2020, before releasing Playboy in 2022. The latter arrived amid the international success of “Peru”, which received a remix featuring British singer Ed Sheeran.
In 2024, he released Adedamola, named after his birth name, Adedamola Oyinlola Adefolahan. The album leaned into more personal material and featured collaborations with artistes including Jon Batiste and Seun Kuti.
ZUKO! will be his first full-length album in two years and his fifth studio project since his 2019 debut.
Released under Olamide’s YBNL Nation and EMPIRE, the album is expected to further explore Fireboy’s musical range through collaborations and influences drawn from different regions.
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