On the 12th of July, 2012, David Adeleke aka Davido released his debut studio album, Omo Baba Olowo (Child of a Wealthy Individual). His emergence on the Naija Music scene was promising. The belief is that many do not survive the ordeals of evolving with the musical nuances of the industry, so only time was going to reveal whether he would be around for long..
Amazingly, he went on to release his second album; an extensive playlist, Son of Mercy, in October, 2016. Sequel to the release of this album, Davido had become a people’s favorite with an incredible stockpile of street jams accredited to him. The comparison with Wizkid also made Davido cannon fodder for gossip-mongers, scuttlebutt and restless blogs and as a result his fanbase grew proportionally to the profound ascent of this comparison. With the addition of music acts like Mayorkun, Peruzzi, Dremo, to his music group, Davido received the deference and verdict of many as he is viewed to be a personage unfettered by greed and selfishness.
Assuredly, with this pedigree established over the years through hard-work, consistency and smart-moves— buying songs, Davido’s music is highly irresistible. This year, 2020, has Nigerians mumbling and rattling about the dominance of the trio of Wizkid, Davido, Burna boy.
Ayodeji Balogun aka Wizkid released his album, Made In Lagos, in October. Odogwu aka Burnaboy— African Giant— released his album, TwiceAsTall, earlier before Wizkid. Davido released his highly-anticipated album: A Better Time on the 12th of November. Intriguingly, these above-mentioned bodies of work portray significantly the intention behind their respective curation.
Fem is the first track released off Davido’s album. The song is full of braggadacious lyrics. Davido aesthetically dislodges his haters with this track. The Best entertains an admirable mentor-mentee synergy as Mayorkun overtly claims to have learnt from the best: Davido. Davido is unprententious in the discharge of this track. Jowo is rather unusual as Davido extends a brilliant vocal spree across the palatable cum mildly-slow tempo of the track. So Crazy breathes like a track that was recorded during the Lekki Massacre with an embarrassing hook and loop that repositions the owner & co-owner as failed-comics.
Holy Ground is an asylum for the failed attempt at dynamism evident in So Crazy. Religiously titled for a carnal coupling, Nicki Minaj is boisterous with her mellifluous rendition, enough room avails her a grip that leaves the listeners craving for more. Davido’s mouthwatering intricacies on this track is evident in the way he embodies the percussion with a pidgin fecund lyricism, pouting the greenness of his source with a lingo popularized by Nigerians.
Lala isn’t as seductive as Fade, even as Davido and Bella Shmurda unite to admonish the waist of a lady as God remains the indisputable masterkraft.
Tanana is lovable with Tiwa Savage;the only Naija female artist on the album.
The album is made up of seventeen tracks with exciting collaborations that unveil the length, breadth, height of Davido’s dynamism which is beyond the shores of Pon Pon Da Beat.
**Odukoya Adeniyi, essayist, poet, and blogger is an undergraduate studying English and Education at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife
