Bou (musician)
{{Short description|Algerian-British musician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2023}}
Mohamed Amine Bouguenna, known professionally as Bou ({{IPAc-en|b|uː}}), is an Algerian-British musician from Manchester. He featured on Bru-C's "Streetside" before releasing "Closer" with Slay and "Baddadan" with Chase & Status, which peaked at numbers 84, 24, and 5 on the UK Singles Chart. He also inspired the cowbell use on Piri & Tommy's "On & On".
Life and career
=Early life=
Mohamed Amine Bouguenna{{Cite web |title=BADDADAN |url=https://www.ascap.com/repertory#/ace/search/workID/921273242?page=1 |access-date=3 October 2023 |website=ASCAP |archive-date=6 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170206145055/https://www.ascap.com/repertory#/ace/search/workID/921273242?page=1 |url-status=live }} was born in Algeria. When he was five, his family fled the country to escape the Algerian Civil War to France, before moving to Ashford, Kent and then to Monsall in Manchester. His father was a bridge engineer, his mother was a singer who appeared on Algerian television whose career was curtailed due to her family's Sunni Islam, and his sister was a wedding decorator. A practicing Muslim, Bouguenna was inspired to start producing after hearing jump-up on SoundCloud.{{Cite web |last=Jenkins |first=Dave |date=1 July 2019 |title=We Need To Talk About Bou |url=https://ukf.com/words/we-need-to-talk-about-bou/24880 |access-date=3 October 2023 |website=UKF |language=en-GB |archive-date=14 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231014214028/https://ukf.com/words/we-need-to-talk-about-bou/24880 |url-status=live }} After leaving school, he attempted a college course, which he failed to due to his use of FL Studio as opposed to Logic Pro or Ableton Live, and then attempted an apprenticeship at an IT company, but was fired after being caught producing beats on company time.{{Cite web |date=3 July 2023 |title=Bou: hometown hero |url=https://djmag.com/cover-features/bou-interview-hometown-hero-drum-and-bass |access-date=29 September 2023 |website=DJMag.com |language=en |archive-date=3 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231003115530/https://djmag.com/cover-features/bou-interview-hometown-hero-drum-and-bass |url-status=live }}
=Career=
Bouguenna played his first set in 2014, aged 17, which was streamed in collaboration with Bloc2Bloc, and released his first single, "Movements" featuring Dutta, on Clawhammer Recordz in 2015. In 2021, he featured on Bru-C's "Streetside", which charted at No. 84 on the UK Singles Chart,{{Cite web |title=STREETSIDE - BRU-C & BOU |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/songs/bru-c-bou-streetside/ |access-date=29 September 2023 |website=The Official Charts Company |archive-date=3 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231003115529/https://www.officialcharts.com/songs/bru-c-bou-streetside/ |url-status=live }} made No. 16 on the Official Charts Company's 2023 list "40 songs you slept on in 2022",{{Cite web |date=19 January 2023 |title=40 songs you slept on in 2022, including singles by Dermot Kennedy, Sam Fender and Alesso & Katy Perry |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/40-songs-you-slept-on-in-2022-including-singles-by-dermot-kennedy-sam-fender-and-alesso-katy-perry__38301/ |access-date=3 October 2023 |website=Official Charts |language=en |archive-date=3 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230203234450/https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/40-songs-you-slept-on-in-2022-including-singles-by-dermot-kennedy-sam-fender-and-alesso-katy-perry__38301/ |url-status=live }} and was certified Gold by the British Phonographic Industry on 19 May 2023.{{Cite web |title=U2, The Fly, Single |url=https://www.bpi.co.uk/award/ |access-date=3 October 2023 |website=BPI |language=en |archive-date=7 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210507201753/https://www.bpi.co.uk/award/ |url-status=live }} In May 2022, he and Example released "Deep" featuring Nonô;{{Cite web |title=Example Teams With Bou Releasing 'Deep' Featuring Nonô • WithGuitars |url=https://www.withguitars.com/example-teams-with-bou-releasing-deep-featuring-nono/ |access-date=14 October 2023 |language=en-GB |archive-date=22 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231222000543/https://www.withguitars.com/example-teams-with-bou-releasing-deep-featuring-nono/ |url-status=live }} the collaboration came about after Bouguenna attended a show and told Example how much he had inspired him, went home, created the song's beat, and sent it to Example. Example then began freestyling melodies and lyrics in front of Nonô, who was supporting him at the time, and invited her to follow suit; the pair later headed into a studio to finish the song.{{Cite web |title=Nonô {{!}} Metal Magazine |url=https://metalmagazine.eu/en/post/interview/nono |access-date=14 October 2023 |website=metalmagazine.eu |archive-date=22 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231022182008/https://metalmagazine.eu/en/post/interview/nono |url-status=live }} A music video was released for the song, which was filmed on an industrial boat on the River Thames beneath Tower Bridge, and caused traffic congestion.{{Cite web |title=Example & Bou - Deep Ft. Nono (Official Video) |url=https://www.jungledrumandbass.co.uk/news/example-bou-deep-ft-nono-official-video |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231022182018/https://www.jungledrumandbass.co.uk/news/example-bou-deep-ft-nono-official-video |url-status=dead |archive-date=22 October 2023 |access-date=14 October 2023 |website=Jungledrumandbass.co.uk|date=23 May 2022 }} The song later appeared on Example's album We May Grow Old But We Never Grow Up.{{Cite web |last=Times |first=Yorkshire |title=Album Review: Example - We May Grow Old But We Never Grow Up |url=https://yorkshiretimes.co.uk/Album-Review-Example---We-May-Grow-Old-But-We-Never-Grow-Up |access-date=14 October 2023 |website=yorkshiretimes.co.uk }}{{Dead link|date=December 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} Later that year, Tommy Villiers credited Bouguenna for inspiring him to use a cowbell on the instrumental for the Piri & Tommy song "On & On".{{Cite web |last=Ackroyd |first=Stephen |date=29 July 2022 |title=piri & tommy have dropped a brand new single, 'on & on' |url=https://readdork.com/news/piri-and-tommy-new-single-on-and-on/ |access-date=29 September 2023 |website=Dork |language=en-US |archive-date=17 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221117122446/https://readdork.com/news/piri-and-tommy-new-single-on-and-on/ |url-status=live }}
In 2023, having been invited to remix Robert Miles' "Children" by a friend attending at a social event at his studio, Bouguenna produced "Closer" in forty minutes using FL Studio, using vocals from Manchester vocalist Slay (Dale Smith{{Cite web |title=Slay {{!}} Musik |url=https://www.dr.dk/musik/kunstner/slay/10946293 |access-date=3 October 2023 |website=DR |language=da-DK |archive-date=14 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231014214026/https://www.dr.dk/musik/kunstner/slay/10946293 |url-status=live }}) after he interjected with a hook, and uploaded a clip of it to SoundCloud; in a July 2023 interview with DJ Mag, he asserted that this attracted the attention of "nine or 10 major labels emailing my manager wanting to sign it", and that he signed to Island Records on the grounds of perceived affinity with drum and bass culture. The song charted at No. 24 on the UK Singles Chart in summer 2023,{{Cite web |date=8 June 2023 |title=BOU |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/56087/bou/ |access-date=29 September 2023 |website=Official Charts |language=en |archive-date=3 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231003115529/https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/56087/bou/ |url-status=live }} and was in the UK Top 40 at the same time as Switch Disco and Ella Henderson's "React",{{Cite web |date=1 September 2023 |title=Official Singles Chart Top 100 on 25/8/2023 |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/singles-chart/20230825/7501/ |access-date=3 October 2023 |website=Official Charts |language=en |archive-date=26 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230926093245/https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/singles-chart/20230825/7501/ |url-status=live }} which also sampled "Children".{{Cite web |date=15 June 2023 |title=Songs of the Summer 2023 contenders: Leigh-Anne, Dave and Central Cee, Kylie Minogue and more |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/songs-of-the-summer-2023-contenders-leigh-anne-dave-and-central-cee-kylie-minogue-and-more__39570/ |access-date=3 October 2023 |website=Official Charts |language=en |archive-date=19 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231019125302/https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/songs-of-the-summer-2023-contenders-leigh-anne-dave-and-central-cee-kylie-minogue-and-more__39570/ |url-status=live }} In July 2023, Bouguenna released "Baddadan" with Chase & Status, which featured the pair's regular collaborators Flowdan, Irah, Trigga and Takura,{{Cite web |date=28 July 2023 |title=Chase & Status and Bou link up on new single, 'Baddadan': Listen |url=https://djmag.com/news/chase-status-and-bou-link-new-single-baddadan-listen |access-date=3 October 2023 |website=DJMag.com |language=en |archive-date=14 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231014214026/https://djmag.com/news/chase-status-and-bou-link-new-single-baddadan-listen |url-status=live }} and which premiered at a DnB Allstars 360° event earlier that month. The song took its title from a Jamaican Patois word meaning "badder than",{{Cite web |last=Nattoo |first=Michael |date=14 August 2023 |title=Chase & Status' Dancehall-Inspired 'Baddadan' Making Moves On UK Chart |url=https://www.dancehallmag.com/2023/08/14/news/chase-status-dancehall-inspired-baddadan-making-moves-on-uk-chart.html |access-date=3 October 2023 |website=DancehallMag |language=en-US |archive-date=14 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231014214027/https://www.dancehallmag.com/2023/08/14/news/chase-status-dancehall-inspired-baddadan-making-moves-on-uk-chart.html |url-status=live }} and charted at No. 5 on the UK Singles Chart, later appearing on Chase & Status' album "2 Ruff Vol. 1".{{Cite web |title=Chase and Status return to floor-quaking drum-and-bass in 2 Ruff Vol 1 — album review |url=https://www.ft.com/content/7796593c-08ac-485c-afe9-a45ac2c283bb |access-date=12 December 2023 |website=www.ft.com |archive-date=12 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231212234253/https://www.ft.com/content/7796593c-08ac-485c-afe9-a45ac2c283bb |url-status=live }}