Going for Gold: Adekunle Gold Shines on FUJI and FUJI XTRA

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17 hours ago

3 min read

"Massive new album"

—CLASH

On his sixth studio album, FUJI (Sometin Different/Believe UK), Adekunle Gold brings the music of his past into the artist he has become today. Drawing from Fuji and Apala alongside Afropop, soul and R&B, the Nigerian singer-songwriter has created an album that feels rooted in tradition without being confined by it. There’s plenty of celebration here, but FUJI also finds Gold in a more reflective place, working through grief, ambition, identity and the loss of his father while reconnecting with his Yoruba heritage and royal lineage. The impressive guest list—including Robert Glasper, Soweto Gospel Choir, Santi, Mavo and Tkay—adds even more texture to a record already rich with live instrumentation, layered vocals and cultural influences. Six albums into his career, Gold sounds comfortable enough to look backward without losing sight of where he wants to go next.

“Believe” is the album’s big, pop-forward moment, built around an irresistible melody, stacked harmonies and a chorus that feels made for a crowd to sing back to him. It’s an easy entry point into FUJI, taking the spirit of Fuji music and translating it into something sleek, contemporary and global. The album’s earlier singles show just how much ground Gold can cover: “Obimo,” “Coco Money” and “Bobo” each reveal another side of the project, moving between romance, confidence, rhythm and pure feel-good energy. Gold expanded that world even further in May with FUJI XTRA, a five-track extension featuring Olamide on the full-circle collaboration “Formation,” TML Vibez on “Shake Shake” and Simi on “Blue Fire,” alongside solo tracks “Life of the Faaji” and “I Got Wiser On My Own.” Rather than feeling like bonus material, FUJI XTRA gives Gold more room to explore how far the sound can stretch while remaining connected to its cultural foundation. What makes this entire FUJI chapter especially interesting is the way those lighter, celebratory moments live alongside songs rooted in loss and introspection. Gold isn’t simply incorporating Fuji into modern Afropop; he’s drawing on the genre’s tradition of honesty and storytelling to say something about his own life. The result is music that can make you move while still leaving plenty to think about after it stops.

Born and raised in Lagos, Adekunle Gold first attracted attention with his breakout single “Sade” before signing with Nigerian label YBNL and beginning a career that has grown increasingly global with each chapter. His six studio albums—Gold, About 30, Afro Pop Vol. 1, Catch Me If You Can, Tequila Ever After and FUJI—trace an artist who has never been particularly interested in standing still. Along the way, Gold has amassed more than 2.5 billion career streams and collaborated with Pharrell Williams, Davido, Nile Rodgers, Khalid, Ty Dolla $ign, Coco Jones, Fatoumata Diawara, Fousheé, Lucky Daye, Olamide and Robert Glasper. His live career has taken him around the world, from an 80-city international tour to Wembley Arena and a series of orchestral performances that have reimagined his catalog on an entirely different scale. Beyond music, his Adekunle Gold Foundation advocates for people living with sickle cell disease, including its 5 Star Care initiative providing free health insurance to 1,000 people in Nigeria. Artist, songwriter, performer and advocate, Adekunle Gold has built a career around evolution—and continues to find new ways to bring the music and culture that shaped him to audiences around the world.

For more information on Adekunle Gold and FUJI, visit adekunle.gold.