FOLA named his new album after a football shirt, and he means it as a promise. In the number nine tradition, the nine is the striker, the player everyone looks to when a chance needs finishing. FOLA has said that is how he sees himself, the artist people turn to when they need a hit.
That album, simply titled 9, is out now. It is the Nigerian singer and songwriter’s second studio project, a 14 track follow up to his debut, Catharsis. It lands as one of the most anticipated releases of the month.
The confidence in the title has matched the rollout, which has been steady and deliberate rather than rushed. Several singles arrived first, including Treat U Right with Ayra Starr, attention!, and fine ting.
The most recent preview was it’s over, which pairs FOLA with his label boss Bella Shmurda and rapper Zlatan. It dropped on September 10 alongside an official music video, and it now closes the album as the outro.
Some of the most talked about moments on 9 weren’t singles at all. Crime is reported to be a remake of 2Baba’s 2006 classic If Love Is a Crime, a bold move given how deeply that song sits in Nigerian pop memory.
Reworking a song people love invites comparison, and listeners will have their own views on how close FOLA stays to the original.
Then there is WAF, which arrived with a fan base already attached. An unreleased version leaked in May and built a following on TikTok. Plenty of people know the song before ever hearing the official cut.
The guest list adds weight across the tracklist. 2am In Toronto brings in Davido, My Type features BNXN, and Hold U Down links FOLA with Darkoo.
The Davido connection isn’t new. FOLA already appeared alongside him and Mayorkun on B4 B4, and since Catharsis he has also worked with Victony, Bella Shmurda and BNXN. Those collaborations kept his name moving between albums.
That debut is the other side of the story. Catharsis crossed 100 million streams and spent weeks at No. 1 on the Official Nigeria Top 100 Albums chart. It gives 9 a head start and a high bar in the same breath.
Supporters will point to that run as proof he can carry a full project. Skeptics will be watching to see if a second album can match a first one that did so much so quickly. The ball is at his feet now, and the first reactions are only just coming in.
