has had a busy year. In May, he released ‘The Game Needs Us’, his collaborative project with , before following it with ‘Still In Charge’, his latest six-track project. It’s another moment in a career that has seen him become one of the most distinctive voices in Nigeria’s new generation of Afrofusion artists.

BNXN knows exactly what he wants his music to do. He wants his songs to carry substance, but he also understands the simple pleasure of a great record: music that can make you think, sing along or forget about everything for a few minutes. That balance has become central to his appeal as he pulls from Afrobeats, R&B  and beyond without treating any of them as a boundary.

Since his debut album ‘Sincerely, Benson’, BNXN has continued to expand that world earning a reputation for thoughtful songwriting and an ability to make vulnerability feel natural. ‘CAPTAIN’ pushed that confidence further, placing him firmly at the centre of his own story. With the release of ‘Still In Charge’, the-29-year-old singer continues the conversation, bringing together Asake and FOLA across a project that moves between love, reflection, ambition and enjoyment.

Following the release of ‘Still In Charge’, CLASH caught up with BNXN to discuss the new project, his approach to collaboration, the importance of staying grounded and what comes next.

You’ve had a very busy year between ‘CAPTAIN’, ‘The Game Needs Us’ with Sarz and now ‘Still In Charge’. What made this the right time to put out another personal project?

This is kind of like a deluxe of my album, ‘CAPTAIN’, from last year. It was more to give a little extension of it. As much as I wanted to make a sequel to the album, I wanted to give the album its own legacy, its own space on the shelf. ‘Still In Charge’ is kind of just a product of what happened after ‘CAPTAIN’. Initially, when the year started, I didn’t know if I wanted to put out another project. But after I put out ‘The Game Needs Us’ with Sarz, it was a pointer to the fact that people really miss the sound. Then Asake hit me up and sent me “Eja Meja,” and that kind of just sparked my thoughts. I was like, “What if I just put out another project?” It was such a luxurious sound, and I felt the need to tap into that and create a project that kind of fits into that narrative.

The title ‘Still In Charge’ feels like an extension of the mindset you had with CAPTAIN. What does being “in charge” mean to you right now at this point in your career?

It’s pretty much the same thing. In eight to seven days, I would have amassed half a billion streams on just Spotify alone this year. That’s from January 1st to September 30th. I purposely timed the project to drop on the 1st of October because that is a huge milestone for me, my new management and my new team. So Still In Charge is to reaffirm that we’re here and we really make the most out of the music. They drop the whole list of artists that are charting and we always find ourselves there. It’s something I’m always very grateful for because it could never get old to me. It just goes to show that we are still in charge.

The project shows different sides of you. It’s more up-tempo and touches on confidence, relationships, reflection and enjoyment. What do you think ties all those different sides together for you?

My whole thing has always been fusion, which is just blending different things together. Whenever I’m making a project, I like to give you a cocktail. Some you might automatically accept, and some keep you in a certain state of reflection and reasoning.What really ties all this together is understanding human reaction and human nature. What you like doesn’t necessarily mean it should be what I like. Sometimes you can’t give everybody what they want, but you have to try and cater to the different kinds of people that relate to your music. That’s what I try to do every time. As long as I deliberately work, I want people to feel like we’re working. ‘Deliberate Work’ is one of the songs on the project. I want people to feel like that in my life.

I love ‘Eja Meja’, which brings you together with Asake, and it’s such a smooth record. How did it come about?

I got a text from on Instagram like, “Yo, we need to get this done.” I thought I had some records that he would suit, but he was like, “I have one song that I feel like you would fit perfectly.” Literally, it’s his verse and then there’s just a space with the beats and the pauses and everything.When he sent it to me, I was like, “This is really different,” mainly because it takes the jazz route. It starts off very slow. If you want to play “Eja Meja” for real, you can’t just mix another song. You literally have to stop that song and then play it. That’s the luxury of the record.I took a few days to understand the song because I didn’t just want to jump into it. I recorded the first version in Lagos, then got to LA and recorded it again. I sent it to him, and he’s like, “Fuck, this is crazy.” That was what really kind of birthed the idea of me actually making a project. I could have just left it as a single, but it was aligning.

‘Online’ is another song that plays with the idea of being constantly visible while also stepping away from that world a bit. Is that reflective of where you’re at now?

With ‘Online’, you said it pretty much. It’s just a proper reflection song because I’ve just been working. Even the producer of the record, Telz, we’ve been friends since university days. Fast forward, I’ve gone on to do my own thing, and he’s the producer for Burna Boy. He produced a couple of records on Twice As Tall and some more. We’ve just been prospering on our different lanes, and then we finally decided to get to the studio and record something. And where else do we record it. In Burna’s house. We’re just in the studio, and then he plays the beat. And the rest is history. I just recorded the song, and yeah, it was crazy.

I listened to ’16’, and there’s this idea of losing focus, working like a machine and moving like a robot. What was happening in your life at that stage, and why did you want to capture that mindset in the song?

’16’ was a very particular age for me. I was a very, very young kid at the time, and it was a very important period because that was when I started to think, “I really want to make music, and I want to make music on my terms.” ’16’ as a song is such a passionate and deep song for me. I’m referencing how I’m in love with my work and always going to be focused on it, but also talking to my love interest and saying, “Yo, I need you to give me the softest landing right now because I’m trying to figure my life out.” So yeah, ’16’ is my personal favourite, and it’s also produced by Steph. He produced my first hit song, the first one that really made Burna Boy see me in the first place. That was ‘Lenu’. He’s been with me since day one, since university, he’s such a special one.

I also wanted to talk about ‘Shamaya’. I know you and FOLA have worked together before on ‘CAPTAIN’. What made you want to revisit that connection, and was there anything done differently this time?

FOLA is a special one because he’s such a reflection of myself sometimes. We’re really good friends, and I really appreciate that relationship. He sent me a couple of songs, and I was like, “What song is really going to stick with the Nigerian crowd? What song is going to have a little bit of cultural relevance and acceptance?”  I felt like ‘Shamaya’ was the one. It just means to get buzzed and get tipsy. And he was a perfect fit. It’s just one of those sexy songs.

You’ve worked with a wide range of artists and producers, and each collaboration seems to bring something different to your sound. Is there anything you look for in an artist before deciding to work with them?

I have to feel a certain level of connection. When I’m trying to work with an artist, I need to kind of see a reflection of myself in them.It’s a very ego-centred industry. Everybody has a certain level of pride and importance, and it’s absolutely normal for creatives. When it’s time for collaborations, it’s time to kind of put all that aside and work together. You need to be comfortable enough to tell me if you don’t like what I’m delivering. I like people that can reflect humility, reflect a spirit of sportsmanship, and, you know, let’s get to work together.

You’re clearly an Afrofusion artist, and I find your sound pulling from R&B and other influences too. Without boxing you into one particular sound, is there anything BNXN is interested in exploring right now?

I consider myself to always want to be on the experimental side. So yes, in due time, you’ll hear extra stuff. I call it “extra” because it would just be me doing it because I can.  I want to see what it does and the dynamic it takes. Probably on the next album.

You’ve had a very busy year and achieved a lot. What keeps you hungry and wanting to achieve more, even when you’ve clearly accomplished some of the goals you’ve previously set for yourself?

I would say it’s more of a personal thing. It’s just the need to want to be better than yesterday, or the need to just always want to evolve. My strength comes from God, and the willingness to actually just want to get up and work and make music for the people that love me and care about it. It’s not as easy as I kind of lie to you, but it’s worth it. It’s worth every strand of stress that comes with it. That’s really where my powerhouse is, man. That’s my fuel.

As we achieve greater heights, our idea of success also changes compared to when we first start making music. Especially with what you’ve achieved this year, what does success look like for you right now?

I’m going to buy a new chain. I have to buy a new chain now, so people got to see my name and  just relate me to something.

But sometimes it’s very relative. It’s like money in my pocket, food in my fridge, call the driver, a home with space. That’s relatively successful to me because there are a lot of people that don’t have that.  And forever staying sane, forever staying grounded. That’s really what it’s about. I don’t ever want to lose myself or lose my essence. That’s all I ever want from life.

Is there anything you feel like you’ve come to understand about yourself now through all this growth?

Oh yes, a whole lot. I like a little bit of organization right now because in my life and  in the past few years, I experienced a huge level of mismanagement. I couldn’t understand it until I actually changed my whole team and then experienced new management. Then it became glaring that it was huge. And now it’s like, I need everything properly organized. I need everything to be well managed: my time, the time of my clients, the time of the people that I’m working with. The organization of everything just should be right. That’s what I’ve gotten to realize right now, and that will make me perform at optimal.

Finally, when ‘Still In Charge’ comes out, what do you hope the project leaves with the fans? What do you hope they take away from it?

Everyone should put that trust in ‘CAPTAIN’ because I’m coming with everything next year. Next year I’m going to tour. Next year, I put my foot out the album.But this is just so we have a great end of the year. Because Africa is back in a way which you have heard in the music. There’s nothing like this on the soundscape. It’s like east, west, north and south. There’s nothing like it.I need people to take that dynamic from me. The boy is bad, and he’s not going anywhere. It’s a staple statement. Because even the sound is like 2016 Afrobeats. People haven’t heard guitars like this in a minute. On ’16’, you can hear the dynamics of the guitars. It’s amazing. I just want people to get it.

‘Still In Charge’ is out now.