Davido is an artist that has put so much work into his craft, forever carving a name for himself in the Nigerian music industry. Since he debuted in October 30, 2011 with his hit single Dami Duro where he asked not to be stopped, signaling that he would become a force to reckon with, Davido has gone from ambitious and amateur music artist to one of the most important voices in the African music soundscape. On a journey of over 10 years, Davido has grown both as an artist and a person, and in this article we attempt the difficult task of ranking every project in his impressive and growing discography.
Following an announcement of a joint tour that will see Wizkid and Davido work together, the latter recently announced the upcoming release of his fourth studio album, Timeless. In anticipation of the new album, we’ve taken a trip down memory lane to see how far he’s come since he gave us his first full length project in 2012, Omo Baba Olowo: The Genesis. With over 10 years of making timeless music and 4 projects to his name, Davido has experienced seismic growth and success in his career, and as we look at how every project contributed to that growth, we’re ranking them based on delivery, creativity, collaborations and reception.
Son Of Mercy EP
The least project from Davido in this ranking is Son Of Mercy EP which was his 2nd project, but 1st and only EP. It was released in 2016 following his signing with Sony Music Entertainment. The 18 minute 5 track project featured guest appearances from Nigerian singer Simi on Maga 2 Mugu, South African rapper Nasty C on Coolest Kid In Africa, and American singer Tinash on How Long.
While the project didn’t see as much love from the public–and Davido himself–as the others on this list, Son Of Mercy EP still houses some of Davido’s better performing songs like Coolest Kid In Africa, How Long and Maga 2 Mugu. The project still has an irresistible satisfaction for a lot of Davido’s audience and was the first Nigerian Extended Play to chart on the Billboard World Albums list.
A Better Time
A Better Time is Davido’s 3rd studio album. It was released in 2020 following his previous album that came out the year before. The 54 minute 17 track projects saw him collaborate with a wide range of producers and it featured guest appearances from Nicki Minaj, Nas, Young Thug, Mayorkun, Chris Brown, Tiwa Savage, Mugeez, CKay, Lil Baby, Hit-Boy, Sho Madjozi, Bella Shmurda and Sauti Sol.
With A Better Time being Davido’s 3rd studio album there was a lot riding on it. The project was released just after Nigeria had gone through one of the most crucial moments in her democratic and political history and the world started to get more relaxed with COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. A Better Time was a star studded body of work but its reception wasn’t anything to write home about. While the album houses amazing songs like Jowo, FEM, Holy Ground, The Best and La La, it lacked any general storytelling and failed to showcase Davido’s prowess and dexterity.
Omo Baba Olowo: The Genesis
Omo Baba Olowo: The Genesis is Davido’s debut studio album and project. The album was released in 2012 under HKN Music and served as Davido’s grand entrance into the Nigerian music industry. The 1 hour 17 track album was preceded by four singles: Back When, Dami Duro, Ekuro and Overseas, and featured guest appearances from Naeto C, Sina Rambo, B-Red, Kayswitch, Ice Prince, May D and 2 Face Idibia.
Although Omo Baba Olowo: The Genesis received generally negative reviews from music critics, who denounced its lyrical content and Davido’s songwriting, the album still won Best R&B/Pop Album and received a nomination for Album of the Year at The Headies 2013. It was also nominated for Best Album of the Year at the 2013 Nigeria Entertainment Awards. As any debut album released by a 19 year old, Omo Baba Olowo: The Genesis was raw, unfiltered and had intentional imperfection that was a strong suit for it.
A Good Time
A Good Time is Davido’s 2nd studio album. The album was released under Sony Music 7 years after his debut album in 2012 and 3 years after his debut EP in 2016. The 1 hour 17 track album, recorded primarily in Atlanta, featured guest appearances from Chris Brown, Summer Walker, Gunna, A Boogie wit da Hoodie, Dremo, Peruzzi, Popcaan, Zlatan, Yonda, Wurld and Naira Marley.
A Good Time is critically acclaimed as Davido’s best album and project for a number of reasons: its timing was perfect, it had top tier features, it explored a range of sonic palettes, the public loved it, and it houses some of Davido’s biggest songs—If, Fall, Risky, D & G, Assurance, and Blow My Mind. The album peaked at number 6 on the Billboard World Albums list.