Fireboy DML is simply one of the best of his generation. Perhaps the only one to carefully tow the line between Critical and Commercial success, his artistry possesses a special kind of appeal. His discography is also the widest, by far.
Here’s a ranking of some of our best Fireboy songs.
20. COMPROMISE FT REMA
Perhaps the most significant song on his discography, in terms of pop culture, “Compromise” sees Fireboy reject old stereotypes and collaborate with another king in the game. The synergy is stellar on this song, and Rema’s verse is especially brilliant.
19. KING
First recorded before his signing and breakthrough, “King” is an impassioned plea for his lover to treat him right.
It’s a lovely song, and a highlight in the collection of love songs that is, LTG.
18. GOD ONLY KNOWS
For an album that thrives primarily on the grandiosity of its sonics, “God Only Knows” is one of the biggest and loudest.
Complete with cinematic chants and arrangements, the song was an immediate fan favorite. For Nigerians, More is More, and Less is a Bore.
17. GLORY
The closer to his latest offering, “Playboy”, “Glory” is as swaggering and boastful as the rest of it’s parent album.
However Fireboy’s lyrics and songwriting make the song and his journey seem like a true homerun. It is grand, but it is well deserved. His vocal performance is also stellar here.
16. WHAT IF I SAY
Initially well received as a gem of a single, this song, like most of LTG lives in our memories.
Listening again probably evokes the magic you felt, when you first heard it. Released just before his debut album, it was a lovely glimpse into the beauty that was coming.
15. REMEMBER ME
A legacy song from a 24 year old on a Sophomore album might seem premature, but it feels right on time for Fireboy.
The closer to “Apollo”, the song works because he’s indeed given us a lot to remember. There will be a great legacy. That much was clear, even then.
14. NEED YOU
On first listen, “Need You” might feel like a rip-off of an Ed Sheeran song.
But by the time Fireboy’s references to Mango and Agbalumo land, the song feels like ours. Who needs “Perfect” when we’ve got “Need You”. Ed who?
13. PLAYBOY
How you’ll receive the “Oof” song depends largely on how you perceive that specific sound. To most, it’s insanely catchy. To some, it’s incredibly off-putting.
Regardless, the title track of his third studio album proved to be a wordy, effective and blistering introduction to the album.
As far as title tracks go, not many have done better.
12. ASHEWO
One of the brightest and most catchy songs on the singles collection that is “Playboy”, “Ashewo” is simple, sugary fun.
It’s lyrics and depth may be questionable by Fireboy’s standards, but it’s hook it’s not. Sometimes, that’s more than enough.
11. GBAS GBOS
This deep cut from his debut album had none of the pleading and writing that made Fireboy a household name, but it was important for a particularly important reason: Beyond his lyrics, it confirmed that Fireboy was a formidable melodist.
And in Africa, melodies are everything.
10. I’LL BE FINE
Clocking in at 1 minute and 36 seconds, the song is his shortest but his most resonant.
Before the fame, “I’ll Be Fine” sees Fireboy DML reflect on whether it’s going to happen for him. He comforts himself in the face of uncertainty, and his quiet joy has never been more beautiful. Fair warning though— You might have a bit of trouble finding this diamond in the rough of streaming platforms.
9. WAIT AND SEE
Fireboy DML has a penchant for closing every album with a refresher course on his journey so far. “Remember Me” and “Glory” are grand finishes, but none of them hit like the first.
“Wait and See” is grander than most of LTG, but it’s legacy lies in how timely it was, and how timeless it is. After an impressive debut, Fireboy asked us to stay with him and watch.
Now, 3 years later, with a platinum selling song in the US and 5 Headies awards, Fireboy has proven himself in spades! We waited, and we definitely saw.
8. LIKE I DO
On the epic collection of love songs that is “LTG”Like I Do” is the best one for many reasons.
“Need You” might be relentless in it’s emotion, and “Gbas Gbos” solid in its melody, but “Like I Do” beats both songs at their respective games.
Fireboy’s lyrics and vocal performance have just the right amount of emotion to avoid melodrama, and the melody is catchy enough to make it a single. Simply put, “Like I Do” works on many fronts. Little wonder it’s the quintessential deep-cut of LTG
7. TATTOO
Slow, swinging, and sensual, “Tattoo” stands out squarely from the rest of Fireboy’s discography.
While his sexual songs on “Playboy” are bludgeoned with bluster, and the songs on “LTG” sterilized to perfection, “Tattoo” is Fireboy’s most organic song about sex.
Released after the “New York City Girl” and “Eli”, “Tattoo” was a much needed breath (and moan) of fresh air.
6. AIRPLANE MODE
“Dreamer” might have (deservedly) gotten all the attention for it’s stellar songwriting, but Fireboy is at his best and most honest on this sparse deep-cut from “Apollo”
“Apollo” is big and hold in its idea and execution, but on quiet moments like this, Fireboy truly speaks.
It is probably the most personal song in his discography and features some of the best writing of his career.
5. DREAMER
The big bad ballad from “Apollo”, Fireboy comes out swinging with poignant lyricism from the very first line.
Complete with flutes, a key change, an electric guitar, and several sustained belts from Fireboy, it is a song that demands the attention and respect of everyone who listens, 90 per cent of the time, it succeeds.
4. JEALOUS
The song that started it all, “Jealous” ranks this high on the list, for the strength of it’s groove alone.
The chords and melodies are simple, repetitive, irresistibly catchy. In other words, “Jealous” is a perfect pop song.
3. BANDANA ft ASAKE
Fireboy DML is famous for going solo, and when he opens up his songs for features, it’s usually for legends admires abd adores (Olamide, Wande Coal) or fairly underground artistes he enjoys (D Smoke, Euro).
With “Bandana”, Fireboy rides the wave of a “happening star” for the first time in his career, and the results are spectacular.
In what is sure to be the best collaboration of 2022, Fireboy DML and Asake give new meaning to the word “synergy”.
Both Artistes are true to themselves while offering a song that is reflective, fun, and breathtakingly beautiful all at once.
2. PERU
From the streets of San Francisco to the beaches of Miami, never has there been a song more infectious.
Originally a drunken freestyle for the drafts, the song went on to become his most commercially successful, with platinum certifications in various countries under it’s belt.
With a lazy flow and easy lyrics, Peru is proof that sometimes less really is more. With this song, If you keep listening, you WILL keep listening.
1. VIBRATION
“Peru” might be the recent hit, but “Vibration” was the song that got everyone on their feet for Fireboy.
On Great Albums, many people like different songs right off the bat. LTG is a great album, but “Vibration” was a clear bop from the start.
As with most music markets in today’s world, songs come and go quickly, but “Vibration” stayed in our playlist for months.
“Peru” might have given Fireboy a strong presence in global territories, but it was “Vibration” that gave him agency, to begin with.
