Burna Boy recently made history when he performed at New York’s Citi Field, becoming the first African artist to perform at a sold-out stadium in the United States. The feat occurred on July 8, 2023, when every seat in the stadium (41,800) was occupied. This is his fifth showcase at a New York venue following stints at the PlayStation Theater in 2017, followed by a show at the Gramercy Theater in 2018. He then took on Harlem’s Apollo stage in 2019 and performed at Madison Square Garden in 2022. When he took on Madison Square Garden, he became the first Nigerian artist to headline a show at the arena.
The African artist allowed the crowd to hear songs from some of his projects, including “Love Damini,” “Twice As Tall,” “African Giant,” and “Outside.” Burna Boy, whose real name is Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu MFR, is from Port Harcourt, Nigeria.
Global Grind also reported that the Nigerian made history in June 2023 when he became the first African artist to be the headliner at a stadium in the United Kingdom. When he performed at London Stadium, he did so in front of a sold-out crowd of over 60,000 people. During his two-hour set, he brought out celebrity friends like Stormzy and Dave on a giant merry-go-round to perform alongside him.
The Nigerian’s popularity has soared over the past few years. Even award-winning producer Swizz Beatz has taken credit for helping Americans discover him and his music, according to HipHopDx. “[I was the] first person to bring Burna Boy to the States. Actually, he had a Ruff Ryders bandana on, and I introduced him on the stage.”
We love to see Burna Boy shattering world records, and it seems his popularity won’t slow down anytime soon.
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