NEW YORK (AP) — Afrobeats may be the hot sound of the moment, but Davido remembers a very recent past when music from Africa wasn’t embraced globally, amid a perception the continent was one of only destitute poverty and primitive lands.
“I remember when Africans used to lie that they were Jamaicans,” laughed the Atlanta-born “Fall” singer, who grew up between the U.S. and Nigeria. “The narrative has immensely changed. And thanks to the people who are behind this, because it’s not governments … it’s the innovators. The musicians. The entertainers. The lawyers. The doctors in America, pushing the narrative of being African.”
The Grammy-nominated artist, who has multiple 100 million-streamed songs on Spotify and is often credited as playing a vital role in the global expansion of Afrobeats, drops his new album, “5ive,” on Friday. Following 2023’s “Timeless,” the 17-track project boasts an international flare with features from Grammy winners Chris Brown and Victoria Monét, as well as Becky G and Afrobeats heavyweights Omah Lay and Victony. Davido began with 80 potential songs, then crowdsourced opinions from family and friends, using a ranking system to help curate the album.
Suffering heartbreak in 2022 after his three-year-old son died from a drowning accident, the 32-year-old now looks at life with new perspective.
“My life was going so fast ... now, things are clearer,” said Davido, who now has five living children. “After the crazy loss we had, God gave us twins: a boy and a girl. So, life is just different now — the importance of family and good people around you. I feel like the energy is very, very important, and I feel like that energy is what I used to record this album.”
The Associated Press spoke with the megastar about the popularity of Afrobeats, unity and inspiring through grief. The conversation has been edited for clarity and brevity.
AP: What’s the album title's significance?
DAVIDO: It’s my fifth album. But after I called it “5ive,” I went to go and do more research on the number five and what it entails, which is a symbol of hope, grace, change, growth.
AP: How can Afrobeats not be looked at as a fad once the excitement dwindles?
DAVIDO: Not over-loving the conception of Western validation … one song blows up, two songs blows up — only two songs — and they are running to America to do a tour. What happened to Ibado? What happened to the other places in Nigeria?
The most important thing that will make us last longer is if we don’t forget where we came from.
AP: The women of Afrobeats seem united, but it hasn’t been that way for the men. Can that change? (Competition, social media jabs and friction between camps have strained the relationship between the genre's biggest stars, Davido, Burna Boy and Wizkid.)
DAVIDO: Recently, the conversation has been had … when I see Bad Bunny working with Peso (Pluma), and Peso working with Farruko, I’m like, yo, there’s so much unity.
Imagine if all of us came together and busted out a tour? … We’re older now, we are more mature, so I feel like maybe in the greatest future, you might see that happen.
AP: How do you feel about non-Africans adopting the sound?
DAVIDO: They can’t do it better than us! I say this to Chris (Brown) every time we play around, I’m like, “Chris, I can’t sing R&B like you, but never in your life can you sing Afrobeats like me!” (laughs) I don’t see any problem with it as long as it’s done right and everybody’s credit is due … at least come use an African producer.
AP: Has your approach to making music changed since suffering an unimaginable loss?
DAVIDO: Music-wise, I don’t think it changed a bit because when I get to my artist mode, nothing distracts me. … When I dropped the “Timeless” album and everything went crazy — like, the most streamed album in the (first) week in Africa ever — we celebrated the album with the people that were with us when we were in trying times.
I feel like that was the beauty of it. And apart from that, I just want people to just look at my story and know that you can overcome anything.
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Follow Associated Press entertainment journalist Gary Gerard Hamilton at @GaryGHamilton on all his social media platforms.
By Gary Gerard Hamilton, The Associated Press
