“Alone” by Burna Boy

In terms of who Burna Boy is begging not to ‘leave him alone’, as solidified in the bridge that would actually be God Himself. The reason Burna is coming off like this is apparently because he is dealing with some type of harrowing depression. In addition to this, he apparently has the feeling that no one has his back. Imagine that!

The latter disposition seems as if it has been further encouraged, as put forth in the second verse, by someone he trusted betraying him.

One plausible theory is that this has been inspired by Burna Boy’s recent breakup with his former girlfriend, Steflon Don. Indeed by the time all was said and done, the whole breakup ordeal did get quite ugly. 

Also he did drop a song earlier in 2022 in titled “Last Last” which has a somewhat similar tone to this one and was inspired by the dissolution of that romance.

And to note, it isn’t as if the primary addressee of “Alone” is the Most High. Rather it is the listener and more specifically those of us who may be waging our own battles against depression and feelings of alienation. 

Most simply explained, we find Burna sympathizing with such individuals. He acknowledges how confusing life can be when you have to contend with such matters. And for him personally, since he has lost hope in the physical realm in a manner of speaking, Burna Boy is compelled to seek out a spiritual solution to the matter.

Wakanda Forever

The Black Panther film series, despite being set in Africa, has actually been filmed in places like Atlanta and Puerto Rico. Also most of the actors and actresses featured therein aren’t African, though some are. 

And some effort has also been made to utilize African musicians for the soundtracks, especially as far as Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is concerned. It is from that effort that we get “Alone”, which is part of “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (Music from and Inspired By)”.

It was released along with the project on 4 November 2022 via Marvel Studios.

As of this writing Wakanda Forever, which has only been in theaters for a couple of weeks, has earned a box office in excess of half-a-billion dollars. Furthermore, it has been the most-popular film in the United States throughout most of November. In other words, it is by far one of the biggest movies of 2022. 

Burna Boy, who hails from Nigeria, was afforded the opportunity to participate due to the fact that concurrently, on an international level, he is one of the most-successful and recognizable African musicians in the game. For instance, earlier in the year he won the NME Award for Best Solo Act in the World. He prevailed over the likes of Billie Eilish and The Weeknd in the process. And his 2022 studio album, “Love, Damini”, reached 2^nd place on the UK Album Chart. Furthermore, it performed impressively on the Billboard 200.

Credits for “Alone”

This track was produced by P.Priime and Ludwig Göransson. The latter, who comes from Sweden, has been the main musician behind both Black Panther soundtracks thus far. 

The producers in question also co-wrote “Alone” with Burna Boy.

Göransson co-wrote many of the songs from the album. Some notable mentions include: Rihanna’s “Lift Me Up” and “Born Again“. The album also features a cover of Bob Marley’s iconic song, “No Woman, No Cry“.

Words from Fans

If you’ve watched “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”, you’ll feel emotional when this song plays in the movie (no spoilers ahead!). This is how many fans felt – and have also expressed how Burna Boy has perfectly captured the sorrow in the song’s lyrics and deliverance.

As the late Chadwick Boseman battled cancer every day for three years, fans expressed that this song has captured the pain he was going through while doing his best to live. Fans who share the similar fight also find themselves relating to the sorrow-filled lyrics.