David Adedeji Adeleke OON, who is professionally known as Davido, is an American-born Nigerian singer, songwriter, and record producer.
He studied business administration at Oakwood University before dropping out to make beats and record vocal references. He rose to fame after releasing “Dami Duro”, the second single from his debut studio album Omo Baba Olowo released in 2012.
Now hold on tight while we present to you the list of 10 Davido’s hit songs that still maintain chart recognition to date. This list covers his musical journey in his career having proven his legendary perfection in the industry as a king of Afrobeats, Afropop, Pop, and Amapiano genre.
1. Fall
Surprised by our first song, yeah you should not be. Fall, released in the year 2017 was an infectious and ear-candy anthem on the lips of every crooner and listener. The single “Fall” became the longest-charting Nigerian pop song in Billboard history. Fall was released in the year 2017 then later enlisted in his sophomore album ‘A Good Time’ discharged in 2019.
“Fall”, includes a sample of Kojo Funds’s track “Dun Talking”, on June 2, 2017. RISA certified “Fall” platinum; the song was one of the 100-most-Shazam-searched singles in America in January 2019, and was a top-10 record on Shazam in New York. In February 2019, it became the longest-charting Nigerian pop song in Billboard history. “Fall” was ranked at number 163 on Pitchfork‘s list of the 200 Best Songs of the 2010s. Nigerian-born British video director Daps directed the music video for “Fall”, which in November 2023 exceeded 274 million views, becoming the most-viewed video by a Nigerian artist on YouTube.
2. If
In April 2017, Davido re-negotiated his contract with Sony due to creative control issues and later that year, he released five singles including “If”. The record “If” generated worldwide social-media activity, remember, the song became a national anthem on almost the lips of every crooner and listener who enjoys good music. The groovy and sultry single was produced by Tekno.
The music video for “If” has been streamed over 172 million times on YouTube, securing a place among his top-performing videos. The song was a certified diamond by the Recording Industry of South Africa (RISA), indicating shipments of 200,000 units.”If” won Best Pop Single and Song of the Year at The Headies 2018. Reviewing for OkayAfrica, Sabo Kpade described the song as a “slow burner” with an “unfussy beat that sounds hollowed out and isn’t cluttered with instruments”. The music video for “If” was recorded in London; it was directed by Director Q and produced by Tunde Babalola.
3. UNAVAILABLE ft. Musa Keys
Yes! we weren’t going to skip the rave of the moment. Davido set yet another remarkable record with his undisputed single ‘UNAVAILABLE’. Having taken us to South Africa, Davido and Musa Keys go head-to-head with a unique nexus on the Amapiano track which gives it a unique and evergreen position on various music charts and platforms. The current track, Unavailable is an electrifying and groovy track that will place its sounding board on its feet.
In November 2023, Davido received three nominations at the 66th Annual Grammy Award for “Unavailable”, “Feel” and his album Timeless.
4. D & G ft. Summer Walker
Back to the track of time, D & G is an impressive lovely piece produced by Kiddominant and Davido himself. The mid-tempo featured American R&B singer-songwriter, Summer Walker who added the R&B layer to the Afro-pop single. The collaboration equally catapulted the label boss internationally in the year 2019.
5. Blow My Mind ft. Chris Brown
Released in the year 2019 was another viral-accepted anthem ‘Blow My Mind’ from the heavyweight musical export featuring American music star, Chris Brown. This brought about the unending bond between both superstars. Blow My Mind was a mind-blowing single having both stars deliver catchy and ditty lyrics, of course, to date, it’s still an ear-candy anthem.
Davido released his second studio album A Good Time in November 2019; it was supported by the previously released singles “If”, “Fall”, “Assurance”, “Blow My Mind” and “Risky”.
6. FEEL
Back to time again! here comes our exceptional masterpiece anthem, ‘FEEL’. The mesmerizing and thrilling single is the second track from Davido’s melodious album ‘Timeless’. The song sees OBO expressing his undying and passionate love to his lover, coming through with enticing lyrics you will find interesting.
7. Risky ft. Popcaan
Risky is a groovy melody that sees the megastar confessing his undying love for the woman of his heart. In balancing the chemistry Davido associated with Jamaican dance-hall artist, Popcaan, who added an extra layer of the Reggae vibe. Risky also bagged the superstar more greens in his career.
8. FIA
On November 10, 2017, Davido released “FIA”, which was produced by Fresh VDM and described as a neo-highlife track. In its second verse, Davido addresses his arrest and Caroline Danjuma’s role in fueling a rumor he was involved in the death of Tagbo Umenike.
“Fia” was nominated for Best Pop Single and Song of the Year at The Headies 2018. Clarence Peters shot the song’s music video. The Stefflon Don-assisted remix of “Fia” was released on March 30, 2018. Davido won Best African Act and was one of the Best Worldwide Act recipients at the 2017 MTV Europe Music Awards.
9. Holy Ground ft. Nicki Minaj
After canceling his 2019 North American tour as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic Davido recorded his ‘A Better Time’ album in 2020. The song ‘Holy Ground’ was lifted from the album.
Holy Ground is an infectious and enticing record by Davido featuring the Queen of Rap, Nicki Minaj who is known for her musical versatility, animated flow in her rapping, alter egos, and influence in popular music. Moreover, both singers brought an unexpected chemistry that shocked, thrilled, and enticed their fans.
10. FEM
On September 10, 2020, he released the Dammy Twitch-produced single “FEM”, along with its music video. The visuals for “FEM” received 1.8 Million YouTube views in less than 24 hours, breaking Davido’s record for the Nigerian music video to most-quickly reach a million views on YouTube, a record previously held by his song “Blow My Mind”. “FEM” peaked at number one on the Nigeria TurnTable Top 50 chart in its second week of eligibility, replacing Wizkid’s “Ginger”.
Arriving at the end, In 2019, New African magazine listed Davido as one of the 100 most influential Africans. He is a cultural ambassador for Nigeria and a prominent voice of human rights in Africa. He is also one of the most-followed African artists on Instagram and Twitter.
