‘Burn’ by Dunsin Oyekan featuring John Wilds is a 27-minute, 15-second live recording that unfolds patiently. It opens with piano and drums, then a brief pause, before Dunsin comes in with the chant, “Burn, burn, burn… sing, sing, sing, my life is the worship You want to hear.” That opening alone already tells you what kind of moment this will be, not rushed, not performative, but intentional.
The live session carries several spontaneous moments that shape the flow of the song. It begins with “Holy fire on my altar,” moves into “Burn this chaff away,” and stays there for a while before finding its way back to the chorus. When it does return, the sound lifts into a more upbeat space, creating another layer of energy without losing focus. Even though the song itself is simple, these unscripted moments stretch it far beyond a normal structure, which explains why the experience runs for so long.
During much of this spontaneous stretch, John Wilds is noticeably quiet, soaking in the atmosphere rather than leading vocally. That silence feels intentional. When the song circles back to the chorus, he re-enters with renewed energy, joining the charge and helping to lift the room again.
After more than eleven minutes of sustained spontaneity and intensity, the song settles into the chorus: “The song You want to hear is surrender, I surrender all to You,” followed by “holy fire burn on my altar, burn in me, burn through me.” This return does not feel like a reset, but a grounding moment, bringing everything back to the heart of the song. Almost immediately, the atmosphere is charged again, and the session continues to press forward.
At one point, during a high-energy spontaneous section, Dunsin makes a striking statement. He says that if a man sets another man on fire, it is murder; if a man sets himself on fire, it is suicide; but when the Holy Spirit sets a man on fire, it is revival. The moment lands with weight, drawing a clear line between human effort and divine work.
He also emphasises that praying in the Holy Spirit is one way believers stir that fire within themselves. These moments of spontaneous prayer are woven naturally into the music, reinforcing the idea that revival is sustained through God’s presence, not performance. All of these elements together, the chants, the pauses, the prayers, and the declarations, shape the live experience into something cohesive and deeply intentional.
Lyrically, ‘Burn’ is straightforward. Lines like “burn, burn, burn” and “sing, sing, sing” are less about repetition and more about posture. “My life is the worship You want to hear” shifts the focus from sound to living, supported by phrases like “holy words,” “devoted life,” and “living altar, renewed fire.” The chorus sums it up plainly: surrender, offering oneself rather than performing.
‘Burn’ does not try to fit into the expectations of a typical worship release. Its length, simplicity, and openness to spontaneity are all deliberate. It allows space for moments to settle, grow, and deepen. By the end, it feels less like a song you listen to and more like a moment you step into, one that keeps returning to the same message: surrender is the sound God is looking for.
