“10 years I never gon’ down” is a lyric from Davido on “Champion Sound” that epitomizes his career trajectory and longevity as one of the kings of Afrobeats.
Ever since his breakout hit “Dami Duro” in 2011, the hype around the Nigerian singer and his music has yet to cease. Within the span of a decade, Davido went from dropping out of school to pursue music full-time to becoming one of the biggest African artists and global acts.
“My first goal was to just see my video on TV,” he told Billboard in 2019. “That was my first dream, but I just kept on making music, kept on getting bigger and the goals just kept on getting larger. Before we knew it, we got here.”
Davido’s stardom began to indubitably reign across the world in 2017, which was when his massive crossover hits “If” and “Fall” were released. In that same year, the latter single became the longest-charting Nigerian pop song in Billboard history. The star’s discography of countless hits, also including “Aye” and “FIA,” has led him to pack out historic venues such as London’s The O2 and New York City’s Madison Square Garden.
Below is REVOLT’s ranking of Davido’s albums that have allowed him to build his music empire.
4. Omo Baba Olowo: The Genesis
Released in 2012, Omo Baba Olowo: The Genesis was Davido’s first official demonstration of what he had to offer to the music industry. The debut studio album features his breakout singles “Dami Duro” and “Back When” with rapper Naeto C. In addition, fellow Nigerian artists 2Baba (formerly known as 2face Idibia), Ice Prince and May D joined for collabs.
Omo Baba Olowo: The Genesis proved early on in Davido’s career that making bangers is second nature for him. The album also served as the foundation for the singer-songwriter to popularize “Obo” as his persona and tagline. In Yoruba, “Omo baba olowo” translates to “son of a rich man.” This label accurately describes Davido, whose father is Adedeji Adeleke, the CEO of Pacific Holdings Limited.
3. A Better Time
A Better Time came right after 2020’s A Good Time. The lively listening experience dropped during the COVID-19 pandemic, which gave fans joy amid the trials and tribulations of lockdown. Moreover, A Better Time was unplanned as it was a result of Davido having to unexpectedly cancel his tour due to the state of the world at that time. Initially a “quarantine playlist,” he decided to turn the songs he recorded into an actual project.
“I’ve never really had time to refocus, sit down and record a project because I’m always on tour,” Davido expressed, according to Rolling Stone. “I’m always all over the place. For the first time I had the opportunity to sit down and focus with my producers and take our time on each and every song.”
The album offered diverse features from both Nigerian and American artists, which is a representation of Davido’s bicultural identity being raised both in Nigeria and Atlanta, GA. The star-studded roster for A Better Time included Nas, Nicki Minaj, Chris Brown, Tiwa Savage, Young Thug, Mayorkun, CKay and more.
2. A Good Time
The title of Davido’s sophomore album is no exaggeration. From “If” and “Fall” to “Assurance” and “Risky” featuring Popcaan, the track list for A Good Time overflows with the biggest hits from his discography. After the project dropped in 2019, “If” and “Fall” experienced a new resurgence, dominating radio in the United States.
While Davido held his own with these singles, he also had assists from Brown, Summer Walker, Gunna and more to bring the album to life. Though A Good Time came nearly a decade after Omo Baba Olowo: The Genesis, the album was worth the wait for fans as it catered to all listeners.
“It’s an album for everybody, I’ll say,” the Afrobeats artist shared with Vibe. “I feel like everybody will have at least three songs they love in different genres.”
1. Timeless
After taking a three-year hiatus from releasing an album and facing personal life issues — such as the passing of his son, Ifeanyi Adeleke, in 2022 — Davido received an outpour of support that pushed him to return to his fans. As one of his most cohesive albums to date, Timeless is a product of resilience and a revitalization of his love for music. Released in 2023, the highly anticipated album was more than well-received. In just the first day of its release, it made history by having the most first-day streams ever for an African album.
Timeless features Asake, Skepta, Dexta Daps and more. In collaboration with Musa Keys, “UNAVAILABLE” has transformed into one of Davido’s biggest records to date, earning him a Grammy nomination in 2024 for Best African Music Performance. The first-time Grammy Award nominee also received nominations for Best Global Music Performance for “FEEL” and Best Global Music Album for Timeless.