Burna Boy Revives Soul II Soul’s 1989 Classic with New Single “Update”

As anticipation builds for Burna Boy’s forthcoming album, “No Sign of Weakness”, the Afro-fusion pioneer has treated fans to a fresh single titled “Update.” This track stands out as it samples Soul II Soul’s iconic 1989 hit, “Back to Life,”.

It adds a growing number of Afrobeats’ biggest stars recently pulling and sampling sounds from the ’90s to the 2000s, just after Rema sampled Sade’s Is It a Crime.

But Burna Boy is no stranger to sampling anyways—he has consistently done this in recent years, from ‘He Wasn’t Man Enough’ by Toni Braxton, which was sampled in his hit song Last Last, to ‘Top of the World’ by Brandy featuring Mase, which he reworked into Sittin’ on Top of the World. Reimagining classic records into modern Afrobeats anthems has been his thing for a while now.

“Yes, it’s intentional,” Burna Boy admits in an interview with Billboard France. “Sampling is a way to pay homage to the sounds that shaped me while creating something new. It’s about bridging cultures and showing that music is a universal language.”

As the music world eagerly awaits the full album release, “Update” offers a compelling glimpse into Burna Boy’s artistic direction, highlighting his talent for bridging generational sounds and creating music that resonates across diverse audiences.