Davido Discusses His Regimen To Blow Us Away At The O2 Arena [Interview]

It’s 3pm in London when the zoom call begins with Nigerian megastar Davido. His camera turns on, he’s on the floor in front of a glimmering Rolls Royce, holding a water bottle and swiping puddles of sweat from his face just having completed a hefty workout session. He’s currently getting in gear for his O2 show in March, where a crowd of over 10,000 afrobeats aficionados will come together for a night of jaiye, woozy snapchats and eventual sore throats. When a musician reaches the big leagues like Davido, concerts become second nature, and pre-performance anxiety blurs into an afterthought. He is fueled by his own self-awareness, knowing who he is and what he is capable of. It is this unbridling confidence that differentiates Davido from the rest, he is not one to diminish his acheivements, or lessen his swagger for the opinions of faceless Twitter accounts.

When we think about the Afrobeats global sensation of the last decade, Davido is undoubtably one of those decorated tastemakers who immediately comes to mind. Afrobeats as a genre has always had its own enthusiastic presence and thoroughly ran its course across the globe, but only a handful of African artists have been able to pass through the gate of worldwide glory recently. When he first released his debut mixtape Omo Baba Olowo in 2012, Davido was a hard-hitter who carried his Nigerian pride throughout every track. Think Gbon Gbon or Dami Duro, the iconic uptempo synths, oscillating use of Yoruba and pidgin English, and groovy West African percussions became synonymous with what we perceive as early 2010s Afrobeats. Having gone from novice to veteran, it is now clear that Davido’s music has not changed, but evolved, we’ve witnessed him find his sweet spot and melt into it gracefully.

The hybrid accent á la his Atlanta and Lagos upbringing has become one of the most distinct things about him, almost a foreshadowing of his tendency to absorb the cultures around him and dissolve elements of them into his music. Davido is a man of nature and nurture, gathering inspiration from everywhere he goes, and blending them into a melting pot of smash hits and club bangers. A Better Time, his 2020 album is evident of this; he’s boasting features from Chris Brown, Nas and Nicki Minaj, he makes a guest appearance on Who’s True with UK rapper Tion Wayne, and most recently Champion Sound with Amapiano artist Focalistic has taken us for a spin. In a previous interview, Davido said he believes social media plays a large part in why African Music is able to reach corners it couldn’t before:

“You don’t have to wait for a song to get played on TV or radio, you can upload something and people will find it.”

For people like Davido, breaks are a mere mask of a busy and sometimes draining cycle of schedules. He’s always on the go, always doing something and staying on his feet, this movement and motivation to keep creating is what keeps him at the top, and protects his sanity in moments of stress. Now an experienced father and husband, family remains his primal tether to reality. With the public lifestyle he leads, it makes sense that human connections must take priority. A testament to his image, Davido’s almost reached 23 million followers on Instagram, a feat which he once perceived as nothing but wishful thinking, but which he has naturally manifested over time. Once a student at the University of Alabama, Davido’s interest in music ignited in him a will to rebel; call it the butterfly effect, coincidence or divine timing, but a series of actions by a starry-eyed teen from Lagos spurred one of the most championed Afrobeats artists ever.

We've entered the second month of 2022. But what did your 2021 look like? Like what were the highlights of the year for you?

Davido: I mean, it was amazing. I made some amazing music, I collaborated with some amazing people, shoutout Focalistic, shoutout to the whole Amapiano wave and of course my team too. Throughout 2021 everybody was a bit unsure about things, with places not being open and such. I didn't really tour that much, but I did come to London and I did the Yam festival. That was amazing. I hadn’t performed in the UK in about four years before that. We’re about to just turn it up in 2022, since places are slowly opening up again. I’m back on tour, I’m back on stage. I just did my ten-year anniversary in Lagos this past December. Lately I’ve been working out, this might be the most I’ve ever worked out in my life. It’s helping me mentally and preparing me to go back on tour and finish off the album.

About the show you've got coming up in London on the 5th March. It’s a huge concert, how are you feeling about it?

Davido: I feel good, I’ve done it before, although this is on a bigger scale. It’s just amazing to see that our genre has become a force. You know, I'm selling out arenas all over the world, solo. This is something that about 4 years ago I didn’t think was possible, but now it’s happening before my eyes.

You've been working out a lot. What do you think is the most tiring thing about being a performer?

Davido: Not working out. I’ve been working out every day for the past like three weeks. Performing when I haven’t worked out is tiring, I’ll start gasping and stuff.

What can we expect to see at the concert?

Davido: I’m keeping everything a surprise. Everybody is like “who are you bringing out?” but to be honest, who are you really coming to watch? If you go to an Adele concert she definitely isn’t bringing anyone out and nobody expects her to, it’s the same with me. Obviously I’m gonna have my friends with me, but that shouldn’t be the focus of the show. You’re coming to watch me perform, look at the stage design, production and such. I just pray for everything to go as planned and be successful. I can’t say anything more than that.

You're based in Atlanta, Lagos and London and you’re often jumping between the three cities. Where do you record most of your music and how do these places inspire your creativity?

Davido: I recorded this next project in a lot of places, but my favourite place to record is Lagos. I love recording there, mostly because I feel at my most creative. London has a certain vibe when it comes to music, like most of my subtle songs, the ones where I’m not shouting, I recorded them in London. The vibe there is just light and cool. It’s always cold too, so I’ll light a candle in the studio, a little cup of hot cocoa, with a little Martell on the side, it’s nice. Then I just love to be in America, I mean it’s like the powerhouse of music worldwide, so naturally I feel safe there. I grew up in Atlanta too, so for me the music influence was really potent.

You’re always in different places and doing many things at one time, but what allows you to relax and unwind when things get too hectic?

Davido: Yeah you’re right, I’m always on the go. I’m actually a water type of guy so I love going to the beach. Sometimes I’ll bring my friends along with me and we’ll chill on the beach for a weekend, turn off our phones and just vibe. I love hanging with my children too, but other than that I’m pretty much just always working.

At this point in your career after achieving so much, what things take priority for you as an artist?

Davido: There’s so much more I can do as an individual, things that go way beyond just music, but I also feel like we’re witnessing a kind of cultural shift right now, where a lot of people are gravitating towards Africa. As a collective we should aim to boost that even further. Everybody has a role to play in pushing the culture where it needs to be, and with time and effort I think that will happen. Apart from that though, I’m working on a lot of stuff: a movie, a documentary, obviously I’m going back on tour and then I’m gonna be rolling out my upcoming album. I’m definitely touring in other UK cities too though, not just London, but I’m excited for the future, very excited.

Speaking of documentaries, I know there was a recently released one that you actually had no input in, however for the one that you are working on, how has the process been so far?

Davido: Yeah somebody completely unrelated to me made the January documentary on their own, it actually had nothing to do with me. I’m personally involved in the creation of a different 5-episode documentary. The process is going great and we have a ton of footage, like years and years of material. We just need to cut it down and contact the people that we want to be featured in it too. But you should see that coming by the end of the year.

I'm excited for that. So you’ve paved the way for a lot of up and coming young Nigerian musicians, who are aiming to take the world as well. What advice would you give to those that are on the cusp of reaching your level of stardom?

Davido: Man, it hasn't been an easy journey. In terms of advice, I’d say keep everything about the music. As long as the music is good, and you’re focused on pushing the culture, you’ll get to your goal. And don’t aim to take the shine from other artists too, praise will come naturally to those that deserve it. I see a lot of these new artists are all working together, which is amazing to see. Me and my own peers made a lot of mistakes because we were young and didn’t know any better, but we’ve learned from every experience. I'm just happy to see the new generation stay connected, you can see the culture moving quicker with them being together.

Your daughter recently became a brand ambassador. Do you see any creative tendencies in her that you have in yourself?

Davido: Of course, especially Imade. She loves music. I can definitely see her doing entertainment when she gets older, she's very, very outspoken. Even when she’s doing that type of stuff in school, she’s always in the lead, at the front.

How has fatherhood been for you?

Davido: Man, it's been brilliant. It’s been eight going on nine years that I’ve been a father. Everybody knows I don’t play with my kids, I try my best to stay available 24/7, the same way my parents were always there for me. Trust me, a lot of people think their kids don't need them at a certain point, but just being in their lives for even the last 5 minutes you can spare in a day is beneficial.

Nigeria is a very passionate country when it comes to music, sports, etc. But when you move around in different spaces, what are things that you find in common with Nigerians all over the world?

Davido: That’s a hard question, but I can tell you that we’re stubborn, even outside of Nigeria. Everywhere we go, we stand out, whether it’s for the good or the bad. Nigerians are also very passionate about our culture, and supportive. Like with Nigerians in the diaspora in places like the UK and the US, we’re always promoting each other and clapping for one another. Even with Afrobeats as a genre, it would have been hard to get it where it is now if Nigerians and other Africans across the globe didn’t spread it like they did.

How do you feel about Nigerian music going global lately?

Davido: It’s just incredible to see the way Afrobeats and West African music has taken the globe. In fact, it's just the start of many more records and artists who will infiltrate the wider industry with our music. It might take one or two artists from different countries hopping on a song for it to get really big in the West, but that helps us reach different corners of the world. With remixes too, it all contributes to Afrobeats becoming more popular and more successful.

Would you say that you're an advocate for more African musicians diversifying their sound through collaboration with different African genres? Similar to the way you and Focalistic blended Afrobeats and Amapiano?

Davido: Focalistic isn’t even the first South African I made a song with, I did Tchelete with Mafikizolo in 2014. So I've always loved collaborating with other Africans. Angola, Kenya, Ghana, I’ve worked with a lot of them.

You know that moment when you musically link up with somebody, and you notice everything is just naturally working out and going smooth? That’s how it was with Focalistic. We just vibe, we never ever planned it. Even with the K star remix, I remember I didn't even touch the beat for like a good month or two, but then one day I just got up and did it, and it just blew up. Then I went over to South Africa for his birthday, we were just chilling before we hit up the club, and we did Champion Sound in literally like 15 minutes. In terms of other African artists doing the same, to each their own. I can’t tell anyone what to do of course, but it’s worked out well for me.

If you weren't a musician, how different do you think your your perception of life would be?

Davido: I don’t know the answer to that for sure, but my theory is that I was put on this earth to provide. Whatever I would end up doing, I think God put me here to lift people up. It could be music, law, regular business or government stuff. But in all sincerity, all I do know is that I’d be rich.

In a new ad with Puma, you mentioned that your mission is to promote the culture. So what are some of the subcultures that you have your eye on at the moment?

Davido: The alté scene has really been on the go recently. Like they have like Tems who’s going crazy, Teezee, they’re all really good. The amazing thing is that they have been supporting themselves, which goes back to what I'm saying. If they didn't support themselves and believe in their creativity, people from the outside wouldn't be looking into them. I was curious and noticed kids going to their shows and having the time of their lives, then next thing you know I’m in the studio with one of them. It all comes full circle.

How about you describe your creative process when it comes to creating new music? How does a new song come about?

Davido: Honestly, I don’t have one. They’re rarely premeditated. Like last night I went into the studio wanting to record one song and I ended up doing three, it’s very sporadic.

What would you say is your biggest achievement in your career so far and why?

Davido: I don't think it’s one thing, I think there’s a series of things that have made me who I am today. There’s not one particular event, one particular award or one particular endorsement. It’s is a collection of everything that has made me who I am.

Looking back on your earliest songs, like “Dami Duro,” “Sade” and the like, how would you describe your creative evolution to the present day?

Davido: That’s a question I gotta ask you guys. I’m on the inside and you’re on the outside so you’d see that better than me. At the end of the day without those early songs when I was new to the industry, I wouldn’t have been able to refine my sound the way I have.

Do you consider yourself a perfectionist?

Davido: Nah, I can’t be. Perfection isn’t everything. Sometimes you have to leave some things to God.

Speaking of your donations to the orphanages that you made in November, is social change something that you are interested in partaking in more in the future?

Davido: Definitely. You see all these charities raising money for food, water, homes for orphans, and yet they aren’t raising nearly as much as they need. I made a joke on live and ended up raising 200 million naira, then I added my own money. It was just amazing to see the influence I had, even when I was just kidding. There was no way I could keep that money though, even if I wanted to, so I just gave it away. I plan on doing something similar soon, even bigger and better, for a good cause.

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