Scoop My Thoughts: Sia feat. Burnaboy — “Hey Boy”, Isn’t Exceptional.
Sia and Burnaboy’s collaboration for “Hey Boy” remix, quickly reminds me of Sia’s remix for her 2016 “Cheap Thrills” featuring the Jamaican singer, Sean Paul. “Hey Boy” remix, has nothing really exceptional rather, Nigerian singer, Burnaboy, took the Sean Paul’s edge to smooth-en the mild reggae and dancehall beneath, although not badly but being Paul’s replica made nothing new and deep. Explaining exceptional for this record to me as a core African, would simply mean, Sia’s introductory embrace to my unique Afro structural sonic mechanisms playing on the background, beneath the creation while Burnaboy surely has to dig deeper, creating forms of relatable situations with his lyricism to message the average African to sit relaxing, rather than being a Sean Paul suddenly. All wonderful still, but is far from an exceptional record to me.
“Hey Boy” remix is like a silent repetition of Sia’s “Cheap Thrills”, the sonic mid creation, unveils the strong looping relationship, very alike; the same aggressive pop, with mild reggae and R&B fusion underneath. The creation and essence married together as one, with little more dancehall differences. Although, everything was packed strongly in one for “hey boy”, but being an exceptional record was farther away; while the record is nothing more than Sia’s regular electrifying loop. Burnaboy still played nicely, being featured with several greats, like Australian Sia, to open a year, would definitely mark his enthronement and unbreakable force opening his undeniable ruler ship in African music scene; as a true star who’s indeed representing globally. This moment, he has the Grammy award winning power house, Sia by his corner and they’ve both traded verses. As she has indeed chronicled the very strong records for the world’s embrace.
Nevertheless, “Hey Boy”, was bright enough to be called a great song. But deep down in my heart after this, I want to listen a new separate song once more from this two acts. Perhaps, this was a remix that’s why, because it has already being created and it’s no new record from scratch as Burnaboy jumped on the loop and suddenly became Sean Paul’s replica. Although, this two, are quite compatible for records but maybe we should test them again for exceptionalism, housing Afro cultural dispositions. Of course, “Hey Boy” remix, is very great and it amplifies a regular Sia’s creation that would surely win the hearts of her core fans again and again. But seriously, out here in Nigeria, to me especially, this record isn’t the exceptional kind that would really trip me that much until I get another that has to introduce Sia’s hot sounds with my African root and love for percussion instruments; as the cultural blends plays right in my ears. Maybe then, I can call their record exceptional so long as she’s got Burnaboy once more. But for now, “Hey Boy” remix, isn’t the exceptional kind. It’s regular and Burnaboy, was only a Sean Paul’s replica beneath, not far from her 2016 records, “Cheap Thrills”.
