SINGER David Adedeji Adeleke aka Davido fourth studio album, Timeless has surpassed a billion streams across different platforms including Spotify, Apple Music, Audiomack, YouTube, and Boomplay.
The album which was released on March 31 this year, through the singer’s record label, Davido Music Worldwide (DMW), Columbia Records, and Sony Music Entertainment has surpassed 191 million streams on Spotify, 274 million on Audiomack, 240 on Boomplay, 123 million on YouTube, and 190 million on Apple Music.
Primarily an amapiano record, the album which was received with fanfare, explores other musical styles such as afrobeats, dancehall, ragga, konto, highlife, and afropop.
Since its release, the album has enjoyed huge success with the hit single Unavailable featuring Musa Keys enjoying both domestic and international success. It also holds the record for most first-week streams for an African album on Apple Music.
The 17-track album had guest appearances from Cavemen, Angelina Kidjo, DMW signees Logos Olori and Morravey; Afrobeats superstar Asake, South African stars Focalistic, and Musa Keys; Jamaican sensation Dexta Daps, and British-Nigerian legendary rapper Skepta.
According to the self-proclaimed Omo Baba Olowo (O.B.O) the album’s title suggested to him by record producer Don Jazzy, is a manifestation of his goal for the album to be remembered as a classic for decades, adding that it went through three different phases before its final version.
The opening track Over Dem is a mid-tempo rhythmic tune that features horns and a saxophone riff. Described as a “triumphant track”, the song alludes to the Biblical tale of David and Goliath. The amapiano record Feel has been described as a “party-starter” and a “boisterous shaker” track, just as the romantic song In the Garden features guitar riffs, which is supported by amapiano elements.
In the introspective record Godfather, Davido considers himself to be the head of the table. He also glorifies God and acknowledges the grace and blessings that have shaped him into the man he is. In Unavailable, he talks about his stress-free life, as the song has been described as a “tightly-controlled, message-filled, and highly danceable club tune”.
The dancehall track Bop features vocals by Jamaican singer Dexta Daps. In the Pon Pon track E Pain Me, Davido addresses romantic betrayal and specifically talks about a girl who left him, while in Away, he considers himself to be the King of Gbedu, as the song’s production features pianos, amapiano shakers, and synths.
In the Ragga and Konto track Precision, Davido explores individuality as exemplified by lyrics like “I dey try sort myself, you for try sort yourself”. The Damie-produced track Kante features an on off-beat chord, saxophone accents, and afro drums.
Na Money, a highlife track that features vocals by Angélique Kidjo and The Caveman, is composed of rhythmic percussion and guitars, just as the Skepta-assisted track U (Juju), which is composed of Afro swing drums and chords, interpolates a line from Ice Prince’s ‘Juju’ single.
Asake’s assisted track, No Competition, is built on guitars, basses, and percussive drums, while Picasso, the slow burner track features vocals by Logos Olori. It is composed of off-kilter drums, jazzy keys, guitar chords, and sax accents.
For the Road features a central bass synth, soft keys, strings, and piano accents. In the Yung Willis produced LCND, an acronym for “Legends Can Never Die”, Davido bemoans the losses he has suffered personally and pleads for the freedom to live his life as he pleases.
The closing track, Champion Sound, was a good way to end the project, as it drew the curtain on the Timeless album in a celebratory tone.
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