Timeless | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | March 31, 2023 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 49:12 | |||
Label | ||||
Producer |
| |||
Davido chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from Timeless | ||||
|
Timeless is the fourth studio album by Nigerian singer Davido. It was released on March 31, 2023, through Davido Music Worldwide, Columbia Records, and Sony Music Entertainment. [1] [2] Primarily an amapiano record, the album explores other musical styles such as afrobeats, dancehall, ragga, konto, highlife, and afropop. Timeless comprises 17 tracks and features collaborations with Skepta, Angelique Kidjo, Asake, Focalistic, and The Cavemen, among others. Its production was handled by Magicsticks, Ragee, Darmie, Blaisebeatz, 1da Banton, Caltonic SA, and Young Alpha, among others. The album was supported by the singles "Champion Sound" and "Unavailable". Timeless received generally positive reviews from music critics, who praised its production and considered it to be one of Davido's most accomplished albums yet. In July 2023, Davido embarked on the Timeless North American Tour to support the album.
Timeless was nominated for Best Global Music Album at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards. [3]
In June 2022, Davido told Rolling Stone magazine that Timeless was nearly complete. [4] In November, he took a break from social media to grieve the death of his three-year-old son. [5] On March 21, 2023, he announced on Instagram that the album would be released on March 31. [1] The announcement marked his return to social media. [6] Prior to making the announcement, he briefly broke his social media hiatus when he performed at the 2022 FIFA World Cup final. [6] On March 29, 2023, Davido revealed the album's track list and announced the signings of singers Morravey and Logos Olori to DMW. [7]
Timeless marked Davido's first album in three years. [8] He told CNN that the album's title, which record producer Don Jazzy suggested to him, is a manifestation of his goal for the album to be remembered as a classic for decades. [5] [9] He also told the news channel that the album went through three different phases before its final version. [5] Comprising 17 tracks, the album features collaborations with Skepta, Angelique Kidjo, Asake, Focalistic, The Cavemen, Fave, Musa Keys, Dexta Daps, Morravey, and Logos Olori. [10] Its production was handled by Magicsticks, Rage, Darmie, Blaisebeatz, 1da Banton, Caltonic SA, and Young Alpha, among others. [11] The album's cover art features an image of Davido's head, two enclosed elephants, and a pathway that leads to a large hourglass. [11] In an interview with Hot 97, Davido described the album as a "miracle album" and said he recorded 62 tracks for the project. [12]
Davido released a theatrical trailer after announcing the album's release date on Instagram; the trailer is composed of tour footage. [2] In it, he is seen writing out a note under his own narration. The trailer also features shots of him seated at an office desk, along with various performance and behind-the-scenes clips. [4] Davido drew inspiration from the book of Ecclesiastes, saying, "There is a time for everything, a time to grieve and a time to heal, a time to laugh and a time to dance. A time to speak, and a time for silence". [13] In anticipation of the album's arrival, Davido teamed up with Spotify to curate a playlist of Afrobeats tracks he considers timeless. [14] Called the "Timeless Afro Playlist", it features tracks by artists such as Wizkid, Tekno and Mr Eazi. [14]
Davido held three concerts in April 2023 to celebrate the album's release. [15] The concerts were held at the Irving Plaza, Koko, and Tafawa Balewa Square, respectively. [15] On April 4, Davido performed a medley of "Feel" and "Unavailable" on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert ; he shared the stage with several drummers and The Compozers, a four-man vocal group. [8] On April 7, he discussed the creative process behind each song on the album while guest hosting Apple Music's Africa Now Radio. [16] In support of the album, the radio station The Beat 99.9 FM launched an album campaign and temporarily changed its name to Timeless 99.9 FM. [17]
On April 24, 2023, Davido announced the Timeless North American Tour to support the album. [18] Scheduled to hold for two weeks, the tour commenced on July 1, at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., and concluded on July 15, at the Budweiser Stage in Toronto, Canada. [19] The tour was produced by Live Nation Urban and Duke Concept and included additional stops in Houston and Chicago. [20] On November 23, 2023, Davido headlined the A.W.A.Y. Festival, which was postponed last year in the wake of his son's death. [18]
Primarily an amapiano record, Timeless explores other musical styles such as afrobeats, dancehall, ragga, konto, highlife, and afropop. [21] [5] The album's opener "Over Dem" is a mid-tempo rhythmic track that features horns and a saxophone riff. [21] [11] Described as a "triumphant track", the song alludes to the Biblical tale of David and Goliath. [21] [11] The amapiano record "Feel" has been described as a "party-starter" and a "boisterous shaker" track. [21] [11] The romantic song "In the Garden" features guitar riffs and is supported by amapiano elements. [11] The Native 's Dennis Peter praised Morravey's voice on the track and likened her to Waje. [22] 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. [11] In "Unavailable", Davido talks about his stress-free life; the song has been described as a "tightly-controlled, message-filled, and highly danceable club tune". [21] [11] The dancehall track "Bop" features vocals by Jamaican singer Dexta Daps. [21] Pulse Nigeria's Adeayo Adebiyi said the song is similar in flow pattern to A Good Time 's "Risky". [21]
In the Pon Pon track "E Pain Me", Davido addresses romantic betrayal and specifically talks about a girl who left him. [11] Afrocritik writers Emmanuel Daraloye and Yinoluwa Olowofoyeku likened the song to Fireboy DML's "Afar" from Apollo (2020). [11] In "Away", he considers himself to be the King of Gbedu; the song's production features pianos, amapiano shakers, and synths. [21] [11] 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". [21] The Damie-produced track "Kante" features an on off-beat chords, saxophone accents, and afro drums. [11] Adebiyi praised Fave's vocals and artistry and said Davido's choice to name the song after a "famous footballer appeals across the board while possessing huge syncing potential". [21] "Na Money", a highlife track that features vocals by Angélique Kidjo and The Caveman, is composed of rhythmic percussion and guitars. [11] Daraloye and Olowofoyeku said the song "exemplifies the power of money on romantic interests and friends alike". [11]
The Skepta-assisted track "U (Juju)", which is driven by Afroswing drums and chords, interpolates a line from Ice Prince's "Juju" single. [21] [11] The Asake-assisted track, "No Competition", is built on guitars, basses, and percussive drums. [11] The slow burner track "Picasso" features vocals by Logos Olori and consists of off-kilter drums, jazzy keys, guitar chords, and sax accents. [21] [11] Musically, "For the Road" features a central bass synth, soft keys, strings, and piano accents; Adebiyi praised Davido for "delivering a konto rhthym that deploys timeless genre-appropriate vocabulary and technique". [11] [21] The penultimate track "LCND", an acronym for "Legends Can Never Die", was produced by Yung Willis. On the record, Davido bemoans the losses he has suffered personally and pleads for the freedom to live his life as he pleases. [22] [21] The closing track to Timeless, "Champion Sound", ends the project in a celebratory tone. [11]
The Focalistic-assisted track, "Champion Sound", was released on November 19, 2021, as the album's lead single. [23] Considered an amapiano record, the song was jointly produced by Caltonic SA and Tee Jay. [24] The music video for "Champion Sound" was shot and directed in London by Dalia Dias. [24] Davido previously collaborated with Focalistic on the remix of the latter's single "Ke Star". [24]
The album's second single, "Unavailable", was released on April 11, 2023, along with its music video. [25] The song features vocals by South African singer Musa Keys and was produced by Magicsticks. Davido announced a TikTok dance challenge on the day of the album's release; the challenge has garnered over 600,000 posts on the platform since then. [25] The accompanying music video for "Unavailable" was directed by Dammy Twitch; it features vivid images of hatched huts, lush forests, and Davido's good-natured persona. [26]
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Afrocritik | 8/10 [11] |
Clash | 8/10 [27] |
Daily Post | 7.5/10 [28] |
Pulse Nigeria | 7.6/10 [21] |
Timeless received generally positive reviews from music critics. In a review for Clash magazine, Robin Murray assigned a rating of 8 out of 10, characterizing the album as an "ambitious yet extremely finessed record" and saying it is "easily one of Davido's most mature, rounded projects". [27] Reviewing for Afrocritik, Emmanuel Daraloye and Yinoluwa Olowofoyeku also awarded the album 8 out of 10, praising its production, lyrics and Davido's voice. [11] Moreover, they consider the album to be "one of the most accomplished releases of Davido's career" and said it "is a testament to the singer's growth and development as an artist". [11] Ovwe Medeme of Premium Times newspaper thought the album was monotonous, but ended the review saying Davido chose to "focus on the lighter things of life". [29]
Pulse Nigeria's Adeayo Adebiyi gave the album a rating of 7.6 out of 10, calling it "Davido's most musically accomplished album yet" and praising its production. [21] Adebiyi also notes the record lacks "thematic depth and offers no singular sonic pattern". [21] The Native critic Dennis Peter said Timeless is a "reassertion of Davido's greatness" and that its "driving force is invincibility". [22] In a review for GRM Daily, Ore Bolarin commended Davido for "returning to form and displaying different feelings of longing, joy, and love". [30] The Daily Post newspaper praised the album's sound engineering and percussion, but ended the review saying it "leaves some things to be desired". [28] Teen Vogue 's journalist Nelson C.J called the album "classic Davido" and said it is a "reminder of the singer's capacity to find and inspire unforgettable moments of joy in times of great unease". [31]
In a review for the website Uproxx, Wongo Okon said the album's title "accurately describes Davido's music in today's afrobeats space" and commended the singer for "proving himself to be a limitless artist with enough strength to always find a way to finish at the top". [32]
Timeless debuted at number 37 on the Billboard 200 chart, selling over 17,000 units in its first week. [33] The album also debuted at number 10 on the UK Albums Chart, becoming the second Nigerian album to debut in the top 10 (after Burna Boy's Love, Damini ). [34] Tallying 14.5 million streams during the week of March 31 through April 6, the album surpassed Love, Damini to become the biggest debut for any album on Spotify Nigeria. [35] Timeless broke the record for the biggest debut week on Apple Music Nigeria, and set a new record for the most streamed African album in a single day on Apple Music. [35] The album received over 12 million streams in its first 24 hours on Audiomack, and had the biggest week ever recorded for any African album on the platform. [35] Timeless broke the record for the biggest debut week ever recorded on Boomplay Nigeria; it amassed over 22 million streams four days after its release and surpassed the platform's previous record of 18.8 million streams held by Love, Damini. [35]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Over Dem" |
| Young Alpha | 3:18 |
2. | "Feel" |
| Blaisebeatz | 2:34 |
3. | "In the Garden" (featuring Morravey) |
| Rore | 2:45 |
4. | "Godfather" |
| Blaisebeatz | 2:50 |
5. | "Unavailable" (featuring Musa Keys) |
| Magicsticks | 2:49 |
6. | "Bop" (featuring Dexta Daps) |
| Sparrq | 2:41 |
7. | "E Pain Me" |
| Jon P | 3:03 |
8. | "Away" |
| Magicsticks | 2:33 |
9. | "Precision" |
| Shizzi | 3:06 |
10. | "Kante" (featuring Fave) |
| Damie | 3:14 |
11. | "Na Money" (featuring The Cavemen and Angélique Kidjo) |
| 1da Banton | 2:41 |
12. | "U (Juju)" (featuring Skepta) |
| Young Alpha | 3:13 |
13. | "No Competition" (featuring Asake) |
| Rugged | 2:36 |
14. | "Picasso" (featuring Logos Olori) |
| Rage | 2:35 |
15. | "For the Road" |
| Blaisebeatz | 2:27 |
16. | "LCND" |
| Yung Willis | 2:50 |
17. | "Champion Sound" (featuring Focalistic) |
|
| 3:57 |
Total length: | 49:12 |
Chart (2023) | Peak position |
---|---|
Canadian Albums (Billboard) [36] | 32 |
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [37] | 88 |
Irish Albums (OCC) [38] | 40 |
Nigerian Albums ( TurnTable ) [39] | 1 |
UK Albums (OCC) [40] | 10 |
UK R&B Albums (OCC) [41] | 2 |
US Billboard 200 [42] | 37 |
US World Albums (Billboard) [43] | 2 |
Region | Date | Format | Label | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|
Various | March 31, 2023 |
Ikechukwu Clinton Nnaemeka, professionally known as Ragee also known for the tag Initiating, Rage Process, is a Nigerian record producer and songwriter. He made his mainstream debut when he produced Davido’s hit song ”Unavailable” featuring Musa Keys off his fourth studio album Timeless (2023) which peaked at number 1 on the UK Afrobeats Singles Chart for five weeks and reached number 8 on the Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart.
Olamide Gbenga Adedeji is a Nigerian rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. He is regarded as one of the most influential artists in Nigeria and has been pivotal to the creative and commercial success of several Afrobeats music stars, and is consistently praised for his role in elevating street pop to mainstream recognition as a distinct music genre. He records in Yoruba and English. In 2011, he released his debut studio album Rapsodi while signed to Coded Tunes. YBNL, his follow-up album, was released under his label imprint "Yahoo Boy No Laptop", aka YBNL Nation. The album was supported by the singles "First of All", "Voice of the Street", "Stupid Love", and "Ilefo Illuminati". On 7 November 2013, he released his third studio album Baddest Guy Ever Liveth. The album's singles include "Durosoke" and "Yemi My Lover". On 17 July 2013, Olamide became the first Nigerian to sign an endorsement deal with Cîroc.
David Adedeji AdelekeOON, known professionally as Davido, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter and record producer. He is regarded as one of the most important Afrobeats artists of the 21st century, and for popularizing the genre globally.
Work of Art is the second studio album by Nigerian singer Asake, released on 16 June 2023 through YBNL Nation and Empire Distribution. Preceded by the release of the singles "Yoga", "2:30" and "Amapiano", the album features 14 tracks, with a sole guest appearance from Olamide who was featured on "Amapiano". A remix of "Lonely at the Top" with American singer H.E.R. was released in November 2023.
The discography of Davido, a Nigerian Afrobeats singer, consists of four studio albums, one EP, and thirty singles. Davido released his first album titled Omo Baba Olowo In 2011 at the age of 19, which contains 5 singles and hit song Dami Duro. The album won Album of the Year at The Headies 2013, he released the five-track EP Son of Mercy, his first and only EP till date which was supported by the singles "Gbagbe Oshi", "How Long", "Coolest Kid in Africa"; and includes guest appearances by Simi, Tinashe and Nasty C. His second studio album A Good Time was released in 2019; supported by hit singles "If", "Fall", "Assurance", "Blow My Mind" and "Risky". "Fall" was a viral hit, becoming one of the top-100-most-Shazam-searched singles in America in January 2019, and was a top-10 record on Shazam in New York. It also became the longest charting Nigerian pop song in Billboard history as of that time, and garnered 200 million views on YouTube. The album was a success, it surpassed 1 billion streams across various digital platforms in july 2020. He then followed it up with the release of his third studio album A Better Time, which was released in November 2020. It includes guest appearances from Lil Baby, Nicki Minaj, Nas, Chris Brown, and Young Thug, among others. Timeless was then released as his fourth studio album, the 17-track album includes collaborations with Skepta, Angelique Kidjo, Asake, Focalistic, The Cavemen and others. The album explores musical styles such as dancehall, ragga, konto, highlife and Afropop, it was critically acclaimed by critics both domestically and internationally. The album was nominated for Best Global Music Album at the Grammy Awards.
Chukwuka Chukwuma Ekweani, better known by his stage name Ckay, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter and record producer signed to Boyfriend Music, Warner Music Africa and Atlantic Records. He was formerly signed to Chocolate City, a member of Warner Music Group independent label services ADA. His international hit single "Love Nwantiti", also known as "Love Nwantiti ", was released in 2019 by Chocolate City.
"Watawi" is a song by Nigerian singer and songwriter CKay, featuring fellow Nigerian singer Davido, alongside a South African rapper Focalistic, and record producer Abidoza. It was released on 17 June 2022, by Warner Music Africa. "Watawi" was written by CKay, Davido, Focalistic, and Abidoza, who also produced the song. It accompanied by a music video directed by Dalia Dias. It debuted at number 13 on the TurnTable Top 50, number 21 on the US Billboard Afrobeats Songs chart, and number 6 on the UK Afrobeats Singles Chart.
Ahmed Ololade, known professionally as Asake, is a Nigerian singer, rapper and songwriter. He is signed to YBNL Nation and Empire Distribution. His stage name "Asake" is his mother's name. thus like to use ololade mi "Asake" before the start of his songs.
Sad Romance is the debut studio album by Nigerian singer CKay. It was released by Warner Music Africa on 23 September 2022. The album features guest appearances from Ayra Starr, Davido, Focalistic, Abidoza, Mayra Andrade, and Ronisia, and was executive produced by CKay. Following the release of the album CKay embarked on the Sad Romance North America Tour (2022).
Balogun Afolabi Oluwaloseyi, known professionally as Seyi Vibez, is a Nigerian singer and songwriter. He is known for his breakthrough single "Chance " from his second studio album Billion Dollar Baby which debuted at No. 19 on the UK Afrobeats singles chart and peaked number 7 on the TurnTable Top 100 chart.
"Unavailable" is a song by Nigerian singer Davido. It features vocals by South African singer Musa Keys and was released on 11 April 2023, as the second single his fourth studio album Timeless (2023). "Unavailable" peaked at number 1 on the UK Afrobeats Singles Chart for five weeks and reached number 3 on the Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart. On 12 May 2023, Davido released an extended play of five remixed versions of the track. "Unavailable" was nominated at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards for Best African Music Performance.
Crown Uzama, known professionally as Shallipopi, is a Nigerian singer, rapper, and songwriter. He gained recognition in 2023 with the release of his single, "Elon Musk". He followed up with the extended play Planet Pluto (2023). His debut studio album, Presido La Pluto, released in 2023, was met with commercial success, debuting at number 1 on the TurnTable Top 50. It also debuted atop Apple Music top 100 albums. His second studio album, Shakespopi (2024), was met with continued success as it became Shallipopi's second chart-topping album. Its lead single "ASAP" reached number one on the TurnTable Top 100.
Unruly is the tenth studio album by Nigerian rapper Olamide. It was released on 9 August 2023 by YBNL Nation and Empire Distribution, and features Rema, Asake, Fireboy DML, Bnxn and CKay. The album featured production from Niketaz, P.Priime, LNK, Eskeez, Bbanks, Alex Lustig, CKay and Magicsticks. Unruly was preceded by the singles "New Religion" and "Trumpet". The album serves as a follow-up to UY Scuti (2021).
Vibe Till Thy Kingdom Come is the third studio album by Nigerian street-pop singer Seyi Vibez. It was released on 8 June 2023 through Vibez Inc and Dvpper Music. The album includes guest appearances from Young Jonn, Jibrille, Russ, and Focalistic, and features a mixture of Afrobeats, Fuji, Apala, Sakara, street pop, and Amapiano rhythms. It was executively produced by Dvpper Music founder and CEO Dapper, and Seyi Vibez, along with production from Dibs, TBM, QueBeat, and Jhay2unez.
Thy Kingdom Come is the fourth studio album by Nigerian street-pop singer Seyi Vibez. It was released on 24 June 2023, through Vibez Inc, and Dvpper Music. The album included guest appearances from Nigerian indigenous rapper Phyno, and South African singer Ami Faku. It was executively produced by Dvpper Music founder and CEO Dapper, and Seyi Vibez, along with production from Dibs. The album is a mixture of Afropop, Amapiano, Nigerian Hip Hop, Afroswing, R&B/Soul, Arabic hip hop, and Fuji fusion.
Cheers To Life is the second debut extended play by Nigerian singer-songwriter Majeeed. It was released on 7 September 2023 by Dream Empire Music, and EMPIRE. It was described by Daily Times, as a musical expression of gratitude, growth, and positive energy with an organic feel of Afrobeat. The EP is a mixture of Afrofusion, and Afropop, with R&B, and Soul percussive rhythms.
"Lonely at the Top" is a song by Nigerian artist Asake from his second studio album Work of Art (2023). The song was released on 16 June 2023, through YBNL Nation and Empire Distribution. It was the first song to hit 100 million streams on Audiomack. As of September 2023, the song was the longest-running number-one song on Nigerian Radio Chart. It was also number one on the TurnTable Official Top 100, an aggregate chart that combines TV, radio and streaming platforms. It spent 12 weeks at number one. It was also one of the most streamed songs on Spotify in Nigeria.
"Amapiano" is a song by Nigerian musician Asake and Nigerian rapper Olamide. The song is a single from Asake's second studio album, Work of Art, and was produced by Nigerian producer Magicsticks. The music video, shot by Jyde Ajala, was released on 24 May 2023. The song was a surprise release and gained over 100,000 streams within less than 24 hours of its release and debuted at number one of the Spotify Top Songs Nigeria Daily Chart. The song was nominated for Best African Music Performance at the 66th Grammy awards. It was one of the most streamed songs of 2023 on Audiomack, garnering 87.7 million streams on the platform. Former US president Barack Obama listed the song among his favorite music of 2023.
"Baddest Boy" is a song by Nigerian singer and songwriter Skiibii, released on 4 November 2021 by More Grace Music. It became a commercial success in Nigeria, and was produced by Runcheck. A remix of the song featuring Davido was released on 21 January 2022 and became a commercial success in the U.K., and America. "Baddest Boy" spent five consecutive weeks at number 1 on TurnTable Top 50, number three on U.K. Official Afrobeats Chart, and at number eleven on Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs.
Top Boy is the sixth studio album by Nigerian disc jockey and record producer Spinall. It was released on 17 February 2023 through TheCap Music. The album features guest appearances from Stefflon Don, Fireboy DML, Tamera, Phyno, Summer Walker, Amaka, 6lack, Azanti, Olamide, Kemuel, Niniola, Asake, TSB, Äyanna, Amaarae, Blxckie, Reekado Banks, DJ Snake, Zaiam, Minz, Bnxn, Ladipoe, Tay Iwar, Ntosh Gazi and Adekunle Gold. Production was primarily handled by Spinall, along with additional production from Magicsticks, Caltonic SA, D3an, TSB, DJ Snake, The Eggman, Kel-P, NKVY, Ozedikus, Smeez and Unknown Nick.