As the year winds down, everyone is releasing their review and Google has joined the party with its Year in Search for 2022. Among the global search trends are ‘most searched songs’ and Burna Boy’s “Last Last” lands at No. 10 as the most searched song of the year.
A magnificent accomplishment, considering the song was released in May of this year as the lead single for his 6th solo album “Love Damini” on Atlantic Records/Spaceship label. Since selling out two nights in Madison Square Garden, the African Giant has opened up himself to new audiences in America and across the world which has increased a global demand for his tour.
The breakup anthem Last Last, which exploded after he first performed it at the Billboard Music Awards in May, samples Tony Braxton’s Darkchild produced “Wasn’t Man Enough.”
Burna, real name Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu, told hosts Gillie and Wallo of Million Dollars Worth Of Game Podcast that he pays 60% of the publishing to Braxton but it was worth it.
“I just wanted to use that sample, and I knew Chopstix(Producer) could do sumn crazy with it, so yeah, I just pointed that shit out and just take it from there , that’s one of the special creative processes ever,” he explained.
“But she is taking sixty percent of the shit,” he says with a huge grin. With the huge sample fee he hopes Toni Braxton will join him on tour for one of his shows which goes on a three island Caribbean run with Popcaan next week.
“He Wasn’t Man Enough” was the lead single for Braxton’s third studio album, The Heat (2000), written by Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins, Fred Jerkins III, LaShawn Daniels, and Harvey Mason, Jr. The song was released by LaFace Records on February 29, 2000.
It peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100, and remained there for two weeks behind the classic “Maria Maria” by Santana featuring The Product G & B. In total it spent 37 weeks on the chart. It debuted at number five on the UK Singles Chart. Braxton also earned her fourth Grammy Award from Wasn’t Man Enough For Me for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance and was nominated for Best R&B Song in 2001.
Last Last gave Burna Boy his first top 20 UK Singles Chart hit. The global smash hit co-written by producers Off & Out (brothers Mikael and Samuel Haataja), Chopstix, MdS, and Ruuben is certified Gold in the US(500,000), as of November 7 by the RIAA, Platinum in Canada (80,000), and Platinum in the U.K. as of December 2, 2022. It has also picked up Gold certifications in France (100,000) and New Zealand (15000).
The boys day out bachelor celebration music video was directed by Burna and has now surpassed 128 million views on YouTube.
Other notable music related trends on Google’s year in review were Adam Levine, who had a music publicized alleged affair with Instagram model Sumner Stroh. Others include: Mary J. Blige, Lil Tjay, Kendrick Lamar and Migos (who lost rapper Takeoff) in the U.S. most searched top 5.
For most search actors globally Johnny Depp leads the pack after his defamation court case victory over ex Amber Heard who came in as third most searched actor. The Oscar slap trio of Will Smith, Chris Rock and Jada Pinkett Smith come in at a No. 2, 5 and 6 respectively. Joseph Quinn, Evan Peters, Andrew Garfield, Julia Foxx who was riding around with Kanye earlier in the year and Ezra Miller round out the top 10.
