Davido may not occupy the same space at the forefront of Afrobeats’ global domination as Burna Boy and WizKid, but he has been steadily backing up the vanguard with a string of rock-solid records. Now, his fifth album tries to capitalise on that groundwork, but the results are shaky.
Davido - 5ive (coverart)
‘5ive’ opens with an air of grandiosity as a poem about the Nigerian-American singer-songwriter’s David vs Goliath life and upbringing is read over a bed of keys — it’s like an obnoxious ring walk for a challenger vying for a heavyweight belt. Sure enough, though, he does land a few decent blows: the captivating Be There Still and the silky smooth Offa Me are early highlights and among the best tracks Davido has in his arsenal.
The litany of features he’s secured are testament to his standing, too. They continue the pedigree heard on 2023’s ‘Timeless’, with the likes of Shenseea and Victoria Monet lending their services, while Victony and ODUMODUBLVCK bolster the Afrobeats bones of the work.
But across the LP’s 17 tracks there are several missteps that drag it down. Recycled beats litter the middle portion of the record — they’re too familiar at best, lazy at worst. This factor isn’t helped by a handful of songs that pass by without leaving their mark, like Awake and Nuttin Dey.
Then there's the length. Davido’s albums have always, inexplicably, been 17 tracks long. But on ‘5ive’, that feels like six or seven too many. He has previously stated in interviews that he's made 80 songs and whittled them down, but perhaps the knife should have stayed sharper for longer. Taken together, these factors amount to a middling and largely forgettable record that shows why he is still a second-string mainstay.
Davido Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Thu July 03 2025 - LONDON Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
