‘Davido’s ‘5ive’ is another big moment for Afrobeats most prolific hitmaker [Review]

If Davido’s intention when curating his debut album, ‘Omo Baba Olowo: The Genesis,’ was to assemble a collection of undeniable hit records to command listeners’ attention, this mindset hasn’t really changed 14 years later.

In his fifth album ‘5ive,’ Davido shows the appreciation of hit records that have ensured he maintained his status at the summit of Nigerian music.

Since making an emphatic claim to the throne in his 2012 single ‘All of You,’ his ambition has been backed by wins that have increased his defiance of the naysayers who insist that his success is procured by his silver spoon rather than earned.

On his triumphant fourth album ‘Timeless,’ Davido sends a message to his detractors on ‘Over Dem,’ where, like in ‘All of You,’ he boldly asserts his supremacy.

If these targets intensified in the past two years, so did Davido’s defiance as he spends part of his fifth album reminding his foes of his irreplaceable position in the game.

For Davido, defiance manifests in doubling down on his most defining traits, and that includes the carefully curated flamboyant rollout that preceded the album.

For the music, it’s flaunting his capacity to make easy hits that capture the pulse of his primary listeners.

‘5ive’ reflects Davido’s decided effort to connect with the markets Afrobeats has made tangible gains in the past decade, and like a confident ambassador, this Nigerian identity gives the album its core.

Fourteen years into his career with almost all of it at the very top, Davido isn’t about to start pushing the sonic boundaries of Afrobeats now, especially not when he never quite fancied such endeavours.

Even when he tried with his ambitious 2015 EP ‘Son of Mercy,’ the poor return filled him with enough paranoia to stay clear of such risk-taking.

Little wonder Davido stuck closely to the Amapiano fusion that has delivered big moments for him and Afrobeats in the last 5 years.

Alhanislam‘s opening poetry declared that Davido is active, and the 5-time Grammy nominee didn’t take long to show what it meant.

He deployed Amapiano log drums for the opening song of triumph ‘Anything’ where he celebrates the resilience that has maintained his place at the top.

He clung closely to these familiar log drums, and while they might be tired, Davido trusted in his capacity to inject vibrancy into them through his bubbling delivery and sticky lyrics.

He continues his celebration, soundtracked by Amapiano log drums on ‘Be There Still’ where he restates his intention to remain at the top irrespective of eras or the scheming of detractors.

Davido delivers another log drum-heavy record with Shizzi-produced ‘CFMF’ where he declares his love with localised and relatable declarations of personal sacrifices and the promise of a good time.