From the moment Daniel Benson shed his Buju moniker like a second skin, he’s been plotting a course toward something larger than fame. Born from a childhood nickname that spoke to natural leadership, CAPTAIN arrives as BNXN’s most vulnerable artistic statement yet—an odyssey into his psyche where triumph and tribulation sail hand in hand.
Launched on June 30, 2025 via T.Y.E and EMPIRE, CAPTAIN is a 16-track voyage featuring a dream roster of guests: Seyi Vibez, Victony, FOLA, and the Grammy-winning Soweto Gospel Choir. Across these collaborations, BNXN maps personal reflections on his rise, emotional highs and lows, and the creative growth that fuels this deeper, more intimate project.
CAPTAIN’s architecture resists simple genre labels. BNXN navigates Afrobeats DNA with Afro-fusion innovation, R&B’s smoky allure, and hip-hop’s unvarnished honesty. This isn’t fusion for fusion’s sake—it’s the sound of an artist who refuses to be contained, charting new territories with every beat and melody.
The guest features read like maritime milestones. Rema trades verses with BNXN on “Fi Kan We Kan,” each bar a strategic move in a chess match of vibes; Seyi Vibez brings gritty allure to the log-drum pulse of “Set Up”; Victony and BNXN drown out doubt on the hazy reflections of “Cough Syrup”; and the Soweto Gospel Choir lifts spirits on the prayerful closer “In Jesus Name,” adding a spiritual compass to this daring journey.
Highlights emerge like islands on a vast ocean. The opener “I Alone” confesses the loneliness of leadership; “Phenomena” radiates the warmth of Lagos afternoons; “Cutesy” slips into sexy drill without losing BNXN’s signature melody; “Eleyi” pays homage to pavement-born dreams; and the finale “In Jesus Name” strips away bravado to reveal gratitude and grace.
Behind the scenes, a stellar production fleet helmed by Kel-P, Vampire Craze, Gemini Major, Jiggi, BlaiseBeatz, Rymez, and Synx crafts purposeful canvases that enhance rather than overshadow his voice. Each arrangement feels designed to carry BNXN’s narrative from verse to hook without losing momentum.
The pre-release campaign proved BNXN’s star power: singles “Phenomena,” “Fi Kan We Kan,” “Very Soon” (ft. FOLA), and “Cutesy” alone racked up over 185 million streams before CAPTAIN even dropped. His 2024 joint EP with Ruger, RnB, pulled in 455 million streams, while Sincerely Benson (2023) still hovers above 910 million—testament to a career sailing ever upward.
This summer, BNXN takes CAPTAIN to North America, with stops in Atlanta, Los Angeles, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., Dallas, and Vancouver. It’s a clear signal that the Afrobeats ship he commands isn’t just headed for new shores—it’s leading the fleet.
At a pivotal moment for Afrobeats’ global expansion, CAPTAIN serves as both passport and manifesto. Here, BNXN proves that charting new waters doesn’t require abandoning authenticity—only the courage to steer by one’s own stars.