XX (Fally Ipupa album)
2026 studio album by Fally Ipupa
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XX is the eighth studio album by Congolese singer-songwriter Fally Ipupa.[1][2][3] It was released by Elektra France and distributed by Warner Music France as a double album, with its first edition, titled XX, released on 17 April 2026, and its second edition, XX: Délirium, scheduled for release on 18 September.[4][5][6][7] Production on the album was handled by Tresor, Dany Synthé, Seysey, Joel Synthé, Ipupa, Armageddon, Layback, L.S., Le Marabout, LMB, Nate, Rudolph Wilemse, Batundi, Joé Dwèt Filé, Manacan, Lokua Kanza, Julio Masidi, Christo K, Alex Shua, DJ Maphorisa, Kan, and Nyadjiko.[8]
| XX | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 17 April 2026 | |||
| Recorded | 2022–2026 | |||
| Genre | Tokooos | |||
| Labels |
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| Producers |
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| Fally Ipupa chronology | ||||
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The album was recorded over four years from 2022 to 2026,[9][6] and was developed to mark the 20th anniversary of his solo debut.[10][3][11] The first edition contains 20 tracks, including a bonus track, and is built around Ipupa's tokooos style, which fuses Congolese rumba and ndombolo with contemporary R&B, hip-hop, Afropop, and zouk.[6][12] It includes guest appearances from Calema, DJ Maphorisa, Joé Dwèt Filé, Angélique Kidjo, Tresor, Lokua Kanza, Keblack, Guy2Bezbar, SDM, and Wizkid.[4][6][13] The edition debuted at No. 1 on France's SNEP Top Albums chart, making Ipupa the first African artist to top the chart.[14][15][16][17] In Belgium, it peaked at No. 14 on Ultratop Wallonia and No. 152 on Ultratop Flanders for one week.[18]
The second edition consists of 51 tracks and is mainly centered on Congolese rumba.[4][5][19][7]
Background, recording, and release
Following the release of his seventh studio album, Formule 7, on 28 October 2022, Ipupa disclosed in an interview with Trace Muzik that he was already working on a new urban-oriented project. He explained that he had recorded extensively and completed around 60 tracks. The record was nearly complete and only needed slight refinements to its sound and lyrics.[9] Although it was initially slated for release in 2023, the album was delayed,[20] and in December 2023, Ipupa disclosed that he had collaborated on a song with British actor and musician Idris Elba, but did not share any further details.[21] In an excerpt from an interview published by Jeune Afrique on 7 October 2024, he confirmed that a surprise album was being readied for 2025, with recording progressing well, and noted that the project would serve as a complement to his upcoming double-concert at the Stade de France in Paris from 2–3 May 2026.[22][23][24]
Pre-orders on Apple Music opened in October 2025,[25] and on 16 March 2026, Ipupa announced that the project would be a double album.[10][26] The first edition, titled XX, was released by Elektra France and distributed by Warner Music France on 17 April 2026. It features guest appearances from Calema, DJ Maphorisa, Joé Dwèt Filé, Angélique Kidjo, Tresor, Lokua Kanza, Keblack, Guy2Bezbar, SDM, and Wizkid,[4][8][19][27] and was co-produced by Tresor, Dany Synthé, Seysey, Joel Synthé, Ipupa, Armageddon, Layback, L.S., Le Marabout, LMB, Nate, Rudolph Wilemse, Batundi, Joé Dwèt Filé, Manacan, Lokua Kanza, Julio Masidi, Christo K, Alex Shua, DJ Maphorisa, Kan, and Nyadjiko.[8]
The follow-up edition, XX: Délirium, which draws heavily from Congolese rumba, is slated for release on 18 September with 51 tracks.[10][5][7]
Composition and artwork
Composition
XX contains 20 tracks built around Ipupa's tokooos style.[10][26] Congolese music journalist Étienne Kambala described the album as featuring detailed songwriting, restrained vocal delivery, and layered production.[6] Music in Africa contributors Collins Matsepe, Mandla Mhlongwa, and Lucky Mqoboli emphasized XX's focus on themes like love, life, ambition, and joy, noting how it balances emotional highs and lows.[28][29] Co-producer Tresor explained that he crafted what he calls "the future sound of Congolese music" to reveal a different dimension of Ipupa for global appeal.[28][29]
"Cinéma" opens the record with West African-inspired sounds and fluid instrumentation, as Ipupa sets a confident and romantic tone with melodic hooks. The collaboration "Pépélé" sees Ipupa reunite with Congolese-French rapper Guy2Bezbar after collaborating with him on Tokooos II Gold, while "Deuxième Maman" revisits his romantic persona through direct and emotionally driven lyrics.[6][30] XX's international scope appears in "Alifa", which was recorded entirely in English, and continues in "Just for You" with Angélique Kidjo, whose chorus is also performed in English. This multilingual approach continues in the Afrobeats-influenced "Jam", performed in Nigerian Pidgin, Lingala, and French, alongside Nigerian singer Wizkid.[12][6] The song surpassed two million Spotify streams during its first week and charted at No. 4 on the UK Afrobeats Singles Chart and No. 9 on Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs.[31][32][33] On "Ma Diva", featuring Congolese-French rapper SDM, Ipupa pays tribute to Ivorian music through an excerpt from "Abidjan Farot" by the band Espoir 2000, fronted by Hugues-Patrick Ossohou, Valéry Théa Doubo, and Alexis Didier Goly.[34][35] Elsewhere, "Isoler" explores salsa influences, "Si tu t'en vas" leans toward French pop style, and "Doucement", a collaboration with Haitian-French singer Joé Dwèt Filé, blends compas with Congolese rumba.[30][36]
Despite this outward orientation, Ipupa maintains ties to his roots. "S'il était possible" incorporates elements of Congolese rumba within a hybrid structure, while "Bapaya", written entirely by Congolese singer Lokua Kanza, adopts a more introspective and thematic direction. The bonus track "Goût danger" extends XX's romantic motifs.[6][30]
Artwork
On 6 October 2025, Ipupa published the cover art, which depicts him wearing Meta and Ray-Ban smartglasses,[37] with the Roman numeral "XX" marking twenty years since his solo debut after leaving Quartier Latin International.[24]
Reception
Commercial
XX performed a strong commercial debut, debuting at No. 1 on France's SNEP Top Albums chart and making Ipupa the first African artist to top the chart for the week with 12,307 equivalent sales.[14][15][17][38] It also charted in Belgium with moderate success, entering at No. 14 on Ultratop Wallonia and No. 152 on Ultratop Flanders for a week.[18]
Critical
Critical reception was generally positive. Congolese music journalist Étienne Kambala of Strong2kin Moov described the album as one that "impresses with its meticulous songwriting, controlled vocals, and dense sonic architecture".[6] Music in Africa contributors Collins Matsepe, Mandla Mhlongwa, and Lucky Mqoboli praised XX as "sonically bold" and "brave" for its experimentation with Congolese musical forms.[28] Mide Ajayi of Superbold Magazine described the album as "contemporary yet deeply rooted", highlighting its ability to bridge "generations, geographies, and musical worlds".[8] Ajayi cited songs such as "Alifa" featuring DJ Maphorisa and Tresor, "Jam" featuring Wizkid, and the French-language, salsa-infused "Isoler" as examples of the album's cross-cultural appeal and its international outlook.[6]
Kambala noted that this outward-facing direction does not overshadow its cultural foundations, citing "S'il était possible", which revisits Congolese rumba in a contemporary hybrid form.[6] Ajayi similarly pointed out that Congolese rumba remains central, with Ipupa continuing to "modernize its guitar-led, emotionally rich foundations" by blending pop, R&B, and Afrobeats influences, which allows the album to "evolve without abandoning the cultural pulse".[8]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Cinéma" |
| Tresor | 2:32 |
| 2. | "Pépélé" (featuring Guy2Bezbar) |
|
| 2:28 |
| 3. | "Deuxième Maman" |
|
| 2:49 |
| 4. | "Isoler" |
|
| 2:56 |
| 5. | "Jam" (featuring Wizkid) |
| 2:58 | |
| 6. | "Petit coeur" |
| Dany Synthé | 2:48 |
| 7. | "Doucement" (featuring Joé Dwèt Filé) |
| Joé Dwèt Filé | 3:45 |
| 8. | "Lost" |
| Dany Synthé | 2:45 |
| 9. | "Loin des yeux" (featuring Calema) |
|
| 3:10 |
| 10. | "Just for You" (featuring Angélique Kidjo) |
| Lokua Kanza | 3:50 |
| 11. | "Toi et moi" (featuring Keblack) |
|
| 2:37 |
| 12. | "Lonely" |
|
| 3:06 |
| 13. | "Alifa" (featuring Tresor and DJ Maphorisa) |
|
| 3:57 |
| 14. | "With You" |
|
| 2:56 |
| 15. | "Ma Diva" (featuring SDM) |
| Dany Synthé | 3:06 |
| 16. | "Eyes to Eyes" |
|
| 2:51 |
| 17. | "S'il était possible" |
|
| 5:17 |
| 18. | "Si tu t'en vas" |
|
| 2:31 |
| 19. | "Bapaya" (featuring Lokua Kanza) |
| Lokua Kanza | 3:16 |
| 20. | "Adieux" |
| Nyadjiko | 3:19 |
| Total length: | 63:00 | |||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Goût danger" | Ipupa |
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Charts
Personnel
Credits adapted from the album's back cover:
- Fally Ipupa – songwriter, lead and backing vocalist, producer
- Guy2Bezbar – featured vocals
- Wizkid – featured vocals
- Joé Dwèt Filé – featured vocals, producer
- Calema – featured vocals
- Angélique Kidjo – featured vocals
- KeBlack– featured vocals
- DJ Maphorisa – featured vocals, producer
- Tresor – featured vocals, producer
- SDM – featured vocals
- Lokua Kanza – featured vocals, producer
- Armageddon – producer
- Joel Synthé – producer
- Layback – producer
- LS – producer
- Le Marabout – producer
- Nate – producer
- Seysey – producer
- LMB – producer
- Batundi – producer
- Rudolph Wilemse – producer
- Dany Synthé – producer
- Manacan – producer
- Alex Shua – producer
- Christo K – producer
- Julio Masidi – producer
- Kan – producer
- Raphael Nyadjiko – producer
Release history
| Region | Date | Version | Format | Label | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Various | 17 April 2026 | Standard | Elektra France and Warner Music France | [42][43][44] |