Nigerian Afrobeats superstar, Davido, recently a guest host on Africa Now Radio on Apple Music 1 this week, premiered his latest body of work. He also revealed the inspiration behind his new album, ‘Timeless’ and shared some exclusive insights into key tracks. ROTIMI IGE brings excerpts from that session.
Davido on ‘Feel’
“The title of this record explains itself. When I made this record, I had an out of body experience, like it took me to a whole other dimension. The feeling of this record, every time I listen to it… Brother, it transports you to another planet. That’s why we called that record ‘Feel.’ It’s a real feel-good record. I love the beat, shout out to BlaiseBeatz – amazing producer, amazing production. I call it festival music, I think this song will really be appreciated by people that go to festivals”.
Davido on ‘No competition’
“It is many people’s favourite: ‘No competition’ featuring my brother Asake. Amazing record, I know the ladies will love this. Shout out to 1da Banton on the production. One of my personal favourites on the album, I love it. It reminds me of a song that you’re going to want to dance to with your lady, your woman; she’s wearing a nice dress, dressed to impress”.
Davido on ‘Bop’
“Wha’s up Jamaica! We got ‘Bop’ featuring Dexta Daps, my brother all the way from yard! Dexta and I have been friends for a couple of years now, amazing human being. I was on his album and now he’s on my mine. It’s going to be amazing, the ladies will really love this and they will dance to it. I know that for sure”.
Davido on ‘Away’
“This is the classic Davido sound. Any day one Davido fans listening, if you listen to this record you would know this is a classic Davido type sounding record. It was produced by Magicsticks, amazing producer”.
Davido also spoke to Apple Music about some of his favourite artistes and tracks…
Davido on Victony – Soweto Remix (feat. Don Toliver and Rema)
“First of all shout out to Victony – we have the same management, he’s an amazing young artiste and I’m really happy to see him grow and do his thing. Rema… you know Rema’s going crazy right now, he’s the hot kid of Afrobeats right now… and Don Toliver, shout out to him. I always love it when Western artistes come and do a little Afrobeats vibe, and show their appreciation for the culture. I love this record – I love the original, I love the remix – and you know it’s going to go crazy”.
Davido on BNXN, Seyi Vibez and Kizz Daniel – Gwagwalada
“I love this record, it gets me hype every time I hear it. You know I love melodies, I love the beat, I love everything about the record and I love collaborations as well. I feel like it’s a real cool record to drop the top down on my Lambo and just listen to. I love it”.
Davido on Odumodublvck – Declan Rice
“I love new music, I love new artistes, I love seeing new artistes grow, and this is one artiste that I’ve seen blow up, and is going to blow up more obviously: Odumodublvck with ‘Declan Rice’.
Davido on Lojay
“Now it’s time for my Africa Rising pick. This is an emerging artiste from the continent of Africa that I’m really excited about. I’ve chosen Lojay because I feel like he’s very very into his craft, you know what I’m saying. I feel like he’s very very different, he’s very very diverse, and I love when artistes really get into their production. He does everything, he reminds me of myself in the early stages.
..As Spotify celebrates Davido’s ‘Timeless’ with Lagos pop-up experience
To celebrate the release of Timeless and engage Davido’s teeming fans, Spotify hosted a fan pop-up listening experience on Saturday, April 1, in Lagos.
The event featured art installations chronicling Davido’s career and putting the new album in context, while also giving fans room to express their love for the artist. With music policy determined by a slew of talented DJs, fans also jammed along to their favourite tracks off Timeless. Away in the US on promotional duties, Davido sent a video message thanking fans for their support and the reception ‘Timeless’ enjoyed upon release.
After much anticipation, Davido’s new studio album, Timeless, was released on global streaming platform Spotify on Friday, March 31, beginning a new chapter for the already-established Afrobeats star.
The pop-up also showcased a collaboration with Nigerian urban streetwear brand, Severe Nature, which unveiled specially designed ‘Timeless’ fashion. In attendance were who’s who of the Nigerian music industry including music executives like The Plug’s Tobi Mohammed and Sony Music West Africa’s Princess Okereugo, and Nigerian rapper, Ladipoe.
Supported by a sterling cast of producers, songwriters and guest features as well as two new signees to his label in singers, Morravey and Logos Olori, ‘Timeless’ is Davido’s testament to new beginnings and the power of community. In the Twitter post announcing the album, Davido says, “I recall sitting and staring over the ocean not too long ago, wondering if I could get here again, after all I’ve been through… but with your love and support, we made it.”
The new release has been celebrated by fans and artistes alike, with many appreciating Davido’s ability to find cohesion within a body of work that plays host to diverse collaborators. In a post on Twitter, Spotify RADAR alum, Victony commended the Afrobeats star “for the courage and strength to be back from the dark” with such an impressive album.
“Davido is one of Afrobeats’ truly global stars, and we’re honoured to play our role in sharing his art and ethos with his dedicated fans in Nigeria and around the world,” says Victor Okpala, Spotify’s Artist and Label Partnerships Manager for West Africa.
To herald ‘Timeless’, Spotify hosted the Timeless Afro playlist, a collection of his favourite African classics, as curated by Davido. The streaming platform also released a trailer revealing the album’s tracklist, while putting Davido’s new release in context as a media moment.
Spotify also promoted ‘Timeless’ on a billboard in New York’s Times Square, announcing the album to international audiences in one of the world’s most iconic public spaces.
“Spotify is dedicated to showcasing the best of African content and talent, and providing a platform to connect with and grow global fan bases. Davido’s global reach is a testament to his talent and the vast power and access that streaming offers,” Okpala said.
Davido’s fan appeal is hardly in doubt. The Afrobeats star makes music that captures an elusive, exhilarating energy and fans across the world have connected since his earliest releases. Songs by Davido feature on over 10 million user generated playlists on Spotify.
The singer first announced himself with OBO: The Genesis, released in 2012. Led by smash hits Back When and Dami Duro, the album reached one million Spotify streams in just 8 days – a feat made more astounding considering this was the early days of music streaming for African audiences.
The singer’s penchant for energetic, cross-cultural dance numbers manifested in the 2013 hit song, Skelewu. It is his first song to cross one million streams on Spotify, hitting the threshold in October 2014. Among the annals of Davido’s most exported songs, Fall stands out with the most streams outside Africa. It’s followed closely by Blow My Mind and Know Your Worth, his collaborations with US and UK stars, Chris Brown and Disclosure respectively, evincing further proof of Davido’s status as one of African music’s most definitive ambassadors.
and then