David Adedeji Adeleke, better known by his stage name Davido, is a Nigerian-American celebrity singer who is widely regarded as one of the most successful musicians in Africa. Davido’s 11 years of constancy has earned him his stripes and a deserving bragging right in the Nigerian music industry. Davido’s active musical career has spanned over a decade, and he has earned his stripes via his consistent performance.
From being an unknown face and voice in the song “Back When” with Naeto C in 2011 to becoming one of the most well-known names in the music arena in Africa, his progression and consistency in the game is astounding and something that other people should want to emulate.
In contrast to other musicians who release solo albums in some years and collaborate on others, Davido launched his career in 2011 and has not looked back since then. He has proceeded to advance, become more powerful, and establish a brand for himself that has garnered him not only a number of accolades but also some lucrative international deals.
We start in 2011 and work our way up to the present, walking through each year while emphasizing significant happenings that contributed to the artist becoming the well-known figure he is today.
In this article, Niketrainers.com.co will tell you:
An introduction to fame in the year 2011.
Davido released his first single, titled “Back When,” on May 7, 2011, and it featured a substantial contribution from another Nigerian rapper named Naeto C. At the time, no one was familiar with Davido, but thanks to this music, he gained notoriety, and it went on to become one of the most successful hit songs to originate in Africa.
Davido released his next single on October 30, 2011, and it was titled “Dami Duro.” The song went on to become another hit, and Davido’s success may be attributed to the popularity of his previous track, “Back When.”
Just based on these two songs released in 2011, we are confident in asserting that Davido had a successful year in 2011.
In 2012, he hardened his stance on the issue.
Davido continued his string of hits into the new year with the release of his single “Ekuro” on January 25, 2012. Antwan Smith is responsible for recording and directing the music video for the same song. Both projects took place in Miami.
Because it was published just a few days before Valentine’s Day, which is one of the most frequently recognized holidays, the song “Ekuro,” which contains lyrics that are about love, was a huge hit on radio and television stations all over the country.
In the same year, Davido became the face of MTN Pulse after signing an endorsement deal with MTN worth 30 million naira and became the face of MTN Pulse.
Dropping gems in 2013
Davido was having a breakout year in 2013. First, the Shizzi-produced music titled “Gobe” became extremely popular on radio and television stations all over the world. The song became popular at gatherings all around the country and even further afield.
A second song by the superstar, titled “Skelewu,” was published in August of the same year and likewise became successful after its release. After that, there was a music video for the song that was directed by Sesan, and then there was another video that was directed by Moe Musa.
Making major moves
Davido was consistently successful throughout the years 2014 through 2016. From his hit single, “Aye,” to his collaboration with the South African duo Mafikizolo titled “Tchelete (Goodlife),” to his collaboration with Mi Casa, Lola Rae, Sarkodie, Diamond Platnumz, and Tiwa Savage on “Africa Rising,” a song that was used for DStv’s campaign, he has had a string of successes.
Additionally, in 2015, a trap single of his that included the American singer Meek Mill was published, which contributed to an increase in his international recognition.
The singer started his own record company, Davido Music Group, the same year that he inked a contract with Sony Music.
In that same year, he signed on as an ambassador for Pepsi and appeared in the majority of the company’s commercial videos.
Davido Taking home trophies and setting new records
The Recording Industry of South Africa awarded Davido’s song “If,” which was released on February 17, 2017, the Diamond certification in 2017, which indicates that the record sold 200,000 units. The song was released in 2017. At the 2018 Headies, the song also took home the awards for Best Pop Single and Song of the Year.
Davido announced the release of his new single “Fall” in June of the same year, and the Recording Industry of South Africa later gave the track their platinum certification. It went on to become one of the top 100 singles that were searched for the most on Shazam in the United States in January of 2019, and it also became the Nigerian pop song with the longest charting history on Billboard.
At the MOBO Awards in 2017, Davido took home the trophy for Best African Act.
A few years later, in 2018, the music video for ‘Fall’ surpassed the milestone of 100 million views on YouTube, becoming the Nigerian artist with the most views on any of their videos on YouTube at the moment.
Also in 2018, Davido became the first African artist to accept his trophy on the main stage at the BET Awards after he won the title for “Best International Act” at that year’s ceremony.
Continually growing in power
The year 2019 continues to rank among Davido’s most successful years as a musician. This is justified given that the singer became the first solo African artist to sell out London’s 02 Arena in January 2019, making him the first to accomplish this feat.
In the same year, he collaborated with Chris Brown on a song called “Blow My Mind,” and within 11 hours, the music video for the song had more than one million views.
The song “Risky,” which Davido and Popcaan collaborated on, was released in October of 2019. His second studio album, titled “A Good Time,” was released exactly one month later. The album was recorded in Atlanta, and it featured contributions from a variety of musicians, including Chris Brown, Summer Walker, Gunna, and A Boogie.
Davido released his third studio album, titled “A Better Time,” in the year 2020. The album featured prominent guest appearances from artists such as Nicki Minaj, Lil Baby, Nas, Chris Brown, Young Thug, and Tiwa Savage. After that, he published a song called “Fem,” which quickly became popular and racked up 1.8 million views on its accompanying music video on YouTube in a span of less than 24 hours.
Davido reported in December 2020 that the album had received more than 213.2 million streams in a single month.
In 2021, Davido inked a contract with Martell, a French cognac company, with the intention of using his influence to help the company break into the African market.
Davido inked yet another massive agreement in December of 2021, this time becoming an ambassador for PUMA, one of the most well-known sporting goods companies in the world.
Davido has released two singles so far in 2022: “Electricity” and “Stang Strong.” Both songs are currently on top of the charts, are being played at parties, and are receiving airplay on radio and television stations around the country and abroad.
Finally, 11 years after he first emerged on the music scene, Davido is still making big moves and raking in big money. He has demonstrated to the world that he is a king and has carried himself as such. With consistency in his craft, smart and hard work, as well as with his personality, Davido is still making big moves and raking in big money.