One album was recorded in New York City and featured contributions from TV on the Radio, Santigold, Nick Zinner, Jake Shears, Theophilus London, members of Antibalas and Bertrand Cantat.

"[2] Entertainment Weekly's Kyle Anderson also praised the album, writing "Though they sing in different languages, the tongue of teamwork makes for universal understanding [..]"[5] Pitchfork Media's Joe Tangari wrote: "Even if Folila is less surprising than the two albums that came before it, it still makes me look forward to seeing where they'll take this fusion next.

Amadou & Mariam’s music is strong enough to stand on its own, and it’s a fair bet that people who start with Folila won’t stop listening until they’ve heard all of their albums.

"[3] The Observer's Neil Spencer criticized Jake Shears' and Amp Fiddler's contributions, calling them "marginal."

Summing up the album, Spencer wrote: "Folila, packed with western friends, mixes the inspired and mundane.