''Timeless'' is the fourth studio album by Nigerian singer

Davido David Adedeji Adeleke (born November 21, 1992), known professionally as Davido, is a Nigerian American, Nigerian-American singer, songwriter and record producer. Davido was born in Atlanta, U.S, and raised in Lagos, Nigeria. He made his mus ...

. It was released on 31 March 2023, through

Davido Music Worldwide Davido Music Worldwide (commonly known as DMW) is a Nigerian record label owned by Afrobeats singer and songwriter Davido. The label is home to singers Morravey Logos Olori, and Boi Chase; producers Fresh VDM and Speroach Beatz are also signe ...

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American reco ...

, and

Sony Music Entertainment Sony Music Entertainment (SME), commonly known as Sony Music, is an American multinational music company owned by Japanese conglomerate Sony Group Corporation. It is the recording division of Sony Music Group, with the other half being the ...

. Primarily an

amapiano Amapiano is a genre of music from South Africa that became popular in mid-2012 with an earlier regular occurrence on South African radio stations in the early 2000s. It is a hybrid of kwaito, deep house, gqom, jazz, soul, and lounge music char ...

record, the album explores other musical styles such as

Afrobeats Afrobeats, not to be confused with Afrobeat or Afroswing, is an umbrella term to describe popular music from West Africa and the diaspora that initially developed in Ghana, Nigeria, and the UK in the 2000s and 2010s. Afrobeats is less of a st ...

dancehall Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially, dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots reggae, roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s.Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter (2 ...

ragga Raggamuffin music (or simply ragga) is a subgenre of dancehall and reggae music. The instrumentals primarily consist of electronic music with heavy use of sampling. Wayne Smith's " Under Mi Sleng Teng", produced by King Jammy in 1985 on a ...

, konto,

highlife Highlife is a Ghanaian music genre that originated along the coastal cities of present-day Ghana in the 19th century, during its Gold Coast (region), history as a colony of the British and through its trade routes in coastal areas. It encompasse ...

, and

Afropop African popular music (also styled Afropop, Afro-pop, Afro pop or African pop) can be defined as any African music, regardless of genre, that uses Western pop musical instruments, such as the guitar, piano, trumpet, etc.Olabode, O. (2023, J ...

. ''Timeless'' comprises 17 tracks and features collaborations with

Skepta Joseph Olaitan Adenuga Jr. (born 19 September 1982), known professionally as Skepta, is a British grime MC, rapper, record producer and DJ. Alongside his younger brother Jme, he briefly joined Roll Deep before they became founding members of ...

Angelique Kidjo Angelique or Angélique may refer to: * Angélique (given name), a French feminine name Arts and entertainment Music * Angélique (instrument), a string instrument of the lute family * ''Angélique'', a 1927 opéra bouffe by Jacques Ibert * A ...

Asake Ahmed Ololade (born 13 January 1995), known professionally as Asake, is a Nigerian singer, rapper and songwriter. He was previously signed to YBNL Nation and Empire Distribution. His stage name "Asake" is his mother's name. In September 2022, ...

Focalistic Lethabo Sebetso (born 26 May 1996), professionally known as Focalistic, is a South African rapper. He rose to prominence after his single " Ke Star", reached number 16 on Billboard Top Triller Global charts. Born and raised in Pretoria, Sebetso w ...

, and The Cavemen, among others. Its production was handled by Magicsticks,

Ragee Ikechukwu Clinton Nnaemeka (born 28 February 1997), 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 so ...

, 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 Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on ...

, 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 The Grammy Award for Best Global Music Album is an honor presented to recording artists for influential music from around the globe at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards. Honors i ...

at the

66th Annual Grammy Awards The 66th Annual Grammy Awards honored the best recordings, compositions, and artists from October 1, 2022, to September 15, 2023, as chosen by the members of The Recording Academy, on February 4, 2024. In its 21st year at the Crypto.com Arena ...

Background

In June 2022, Davido told ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

'' magazine that ''Timeless'' was nearly complete. In November, he took a break from social media to grieve the death of his three-year-old son. On 21 March 2023, he announced on Instagram that the album would be released on March 31. The announcement marked his return to social media. Prior to making the announcement, he briefly broke his social media hiatus when he performed at the

2022 FIFA World Cup final The 2022 FIFA World Cup final was the final match of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the 22nd edition of FIFA's competition for men's national football teams. The match was played at Lusail Stadium in Lusail, Qatar, on 18 December 2022, the Qatari ...

. On 29 March 2023, Davido revealed the album's track list and announced the signings of singers Morravey and Logos Olori to DMW. ''Timeless'' marked Davido's first album in three years. He told

CNN Cable News Network (CNN) is a multinational news organization operating, most notably, a website and a TV channel headquartered in Atlanta. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable ne ...

that the album's title, which record producer

Don Jazzy Michael Collins Ajereh (born 26 November 1982), known professionally as Don Jazzy, is a Nigerian music executive, record producer, singer, songwriter, businessman, and philanthropist. He founded the record label Mavin Records in 2012, as a sub ...

suggested to him, is a manifestation of his goal for the album to be remembered as a classic for decades. He also told the news channel that the album went through three different phases before its final version. Comprising 17 tracks, the album features collaborations with

, The Cavemen,

Fave The Fave () is a river in France in the eastern region of Lorraine (region), Lorraine. It flows in the Vosges, Vosges département. It is a tributary of the Meurthe (river), Meurthe, thus a sub-tributary of the Moselle and of the Rhine. It is lon ...

, Musa Keys,

Dexta Daps Louis Anthony Grandison (born 12 January 1986), known by his stage name Dexta Daps, Dex, Dappa Don or Dexta, is a Jamaican dancehall and reggae performer. Grandison's career began in 2012 with the release of his first two singles "Save Me Jah" and ...

, Morravey, and Logos Olori. Its production was handled by Magicsticks, Rage, Darmie, Blaisebeatz, 1da Banton, Caltonic SA, and Young Alpha, among others. The album's cover art features an image of Davido's head, two enclosed elephants, and a pathway that leads to a large

hourglass An hourglass (or sandglass, sand timer, or sand clock) is a device used to measure the passage of time. It comprises two glass bulbs connected vertically by a narrow neck that allows a regulated flow of a substance (historically sand) from the ...

. In an interview with

Hot 97 WQHT (97.1 FM, ''Hot 97'') is a commercial radio station, licensed to New York, New York, which broadcasts an urban contemporary music format. The station is owned by Mediaco Holding, a subsidiary of the Standard General hedge fund. WQHT's st ...

, Davido described the album as a "miracle album" and said he recorded 62 tracks for the project.

Release and promotion

Davido released a theatrical trailer after announcing the album's release date on Instagram; the trailer is composed of tour footage. 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. Davido drew inspiration from the book of

Ecclesiastes Ecclesiastes ( ) is one of the Ketuvim ('Writings') of the Hebrew Bible and part of the Wisdom literature of the Christian Old Testament. The title commonly used in English is a Latin transliteration of the Greek translation of the Hebrew word ...

, 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". In anticipation of the album's arrival, Davido teamed up with

Spotify Spotify (; ) is a List of companies of Sweden, Swedish Music streaming service, audio streaming and media service provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. , it is one of the largest providers of music streaming services ...

to curate a playlist of

tracks he considers timeless. Called the "Timeless Afro Playlist", it features tracks by artists such as

Wizkid Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun (born 16 July 1990), better known as Wizkid, is a Nigerian singer and songwriter. Born in the Ojuelegba suburb of Surulere, Lagos, Wizkid is a voice in the emerging Afrobeats movement. His music is a blend of Afrobea ...

, Tekno and

Mr Eazi Oluwatosin Oluwole Ajibade (born 19 July 1991), better known by his stage name Mr Eazi, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter, and record executive. He is the pioneer of Banku music, a fusion of sound he describes as a mixture of Ghanaian highlife a ...

. Davido held three concerts in April 2023 to celebrate the album's release. The concerts were held at the

Irving Plaza Irving Plaza (known through sponsorship as Irving Plaza, powered by Verizon 5G and formerly known as the Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza) is a ballroom-style music venue located within the Union Square neighborhood of Manhattan in New York ...

, Koko, and

Tafawa Balewa Square The Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS) is a ceremonial ground (originally called "Race Course") in Lagos Island, Lagos. History Lagos Race Course now TBS, was a sports field that hosted horse racing, but included a section for football and ground t ...

, respectively. On April 4, Davido performed a medley of "Feel" and "Unavailable" on ''

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert ''The Late Show with Stephen Colbert'' is an American late-night talk show, late-night news satire, news and liberal political satire talk show hosted by Stephen Colbert, which premiered on September 8, 2015. Produced by Stephen Colbert, Spartin ...

''; he shared the stage with several drummers and The Compozers, a four-man vocal group. On 7 April, he discussed the creative process behind each song on the album while guest hosting

Apple Music Apple Music is an audio and video streaming service developed by Apple Inc. Users can select music to stream to their device on-demand, or listen to existing playlists. The service also includes the sister internet radio stations Apple Musi ...

's Africa Now Radio. 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. On 24 April 2023, Davido announced the Timeless North American Tour to support the album. Scheduled to hold for two weeks, the tour commenced on 1 July, at the

Capital One Arena Capital One Arena is an indoor arena in Washington, D.C. Located in the Chinatown section of the larger Penn Quarter neighborhood, the arena sits atop the Gallery Place rapid transit station of the Washington Metro. The arena was opened o ...

in Washington, D.C., and concluded on 15 July, at the

Budweiser Stage The Budweiser Stage, originally known as the Molson Amphitheatre, is a concert venue in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located on the grounds of Ontario Place and hosts many diverse acts, including genres like rock, pop, country, and jazz. The ...

in Toronto, Canada. The tour was produced by Live Nation Urban and Duke Concept and included additional stops in Houston and Chicago. On 23 November 2023, Davido headlined the A.W.A.Y. Festival, which was postponed in the wake of his son's death. The

-assisted track "Champion Sound" was released on 19 November 2021, as the album's lead single. Considered an amapiano record, the song was jointly produced by Caltonic SA and Tee Jay. The music video for "Champion Sound" was filmed in London by Dalia Dias. Davido and Focalistic previously worked together on the remix of the latter's song " Ke Star". The album's second single, " Unavailable", was released on 11 April 2023, along with its music video. The song features vocals by South African singer Musa Keys and was produced by Magicsticks. On the day of the album's release, Davido revealed a

TikTok TikTok, known in mainland China and Hong Kong as Douyin (), is a social media and Short-form content, short-form online video platform owned by Chinese Internet company ByteDance. It hosts user-submitted videos, which may range in duration f ...

dance challenge, which has amassed over 600,000 posts. The accompanying music video for "Unavailable", which was directed by Dammy Twitch, features vivid images of huts, woodlands, and Davido's kind demeanor.

Music and lyrics

Primarily an

record, ''Timeless'' explores other musical styles such as

, konto,

, and

. The album's opener "Over Dem" is a mid-tempo rhythmic track that features horns and a saxophone riff. Described as a "triumphant track", the song alludes to the Biblical tale of

David and Goliath Goliath ( ) was a Philistine giant in the Book of Samuel. Descriptions of Goliath's immense stature vary among biblical sources, with texts describing him as either or tall. According to the text, Goliath issued a challenge to the Israelit ...

. The amapiano record "Feel" has been described as a "party-starter" and a "boisterous shaker" track. The romantic song "In the Garden" features

guitar riffs A riff is a short, repeated motif or figure in the melody or accompaniment of a musical composition. Riffs are most often found in rock music, punk, heavy metal music, Latin, funk, and jazz, although classical music is also sometimes based on ...

and is supported by amapiano elements. ''

The Native ''The Native'' (stylized in all caps) is a Nigerian-based music magazine publishing in Lagos. Founded in 2016, ''The Native'' focuses primarily on music, style, and art, championing the sounds and culture of tomorrow, today. History ''The Na ...

''s Dennis Peter praised Morravey's voice on the track and likened her to

Waje Aituaje Aina Vivian Ebele Iruobe (born 1 September 1981), known professionally as Waje (an acronym for "Words Aren't Just Enough"), is a Nigerian singer. She first gained recognition after being featured on the remake of P-Square’s "Omoge Mi" ...

. 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", Davido talks about his stress-free life; 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. Pulse Nigeria's Adeayo Adebiyi said the song is similar in flow pattern to ''

A Good Time ''A Good Time'' is the second studio album by Nigerian singer Davido. It was released on November 22, 2019, via Davido Music Worldwide, RCA Records and Sony Music. The album features guest appearances from Chris Brown, Summer Walker, Gunna, A Boog ...

''s "Risky". In the

Pon Pon Pon Pon is the title character of an Italian comic strip created by Luciano Bottaro. Background Pon Pon was created by Bottaro in 1955 as Sor Funghetto and was published until 1970 in the children magazine ''Lo Scolaro''. In 1967 it was rename ...

track "E Pain Me", Davido addresses romantic betrayal and specifically talks about a girl who left him. Afrocritik writers Emmanuel Daraloye and Yinoluwa Olowofoyeku likened the song to

Fireboy DML Adedamola Oyinlola Adefolahan (born 5 February 1996), known professionally as Fireboy DML, is a Nigerian singer and songwriter. In 2018, he signed a record deal with YBNL Nation, a record label founded by rapper Olamide. His debut studio album, ...

's "Afar" from ''

Apollo Apollo is one of the Twelve Olympians, Olympian deities in Ancient Greek religion, ancient Greek and Ancient Roman religion, Roman religion and Greek mythology, Greek and Roman mythology. Apollo has been recognized as a god of archery, mu ...

'' (2020). In "Away", he considers himself to be the King of Gbedu; 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 chords, saxophone accents, and afro drums. 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". "Na Money", a

track that features vocals by Angélique Kidjo and The Caveman, is composed of rhythmic percussion and guitars. Daraloye and Olowofoyeku said the song "exemplifies the power of money on romantic interests and friends alike". The Skepta-assisted track "U (Juju)", which is driven by

Afroswing Afroswing, also known as Afrobashment, or less commonly Afrobbean or Afrowave, is a genre of music that developed in the UK during the mid-2010s, derivative of dancehall and afrobeats, with influences from trap, British hip hop, R&B, and gri ...

drums and chords, interpolates a line from

Ice Prince Panshak Henry Zamani (born 30 October 1986), better known as Ice Prince Zamani or just Ice Prince, is a Nigerian rapper, singer and songwriter. He rose to fame after releasing "Oleku (Ice Prince song), Oleku", one of Nigeria's most remixed son ...

's "Juju" single. The Asake-assisted track, "No Competition", is built on guitars, basses, and percussive drums. The slow burner track "Picasso" features vocals by Logos Olori and consists of off-kilter drums, jazzy keys, guitar chords, and sax accents. 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". 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. The closing track to ''Timeless'', "Champion Sound", ends the project in a celebratory tone.

Critical reception

''Timeless'' received generally positive reviews from

. 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". Reviewing for

Afrocritik Afrocritik is a digital media platform that focuses on African art, entertainment, fashion, music, movies, and culture. It was established in 2021 by Samson Jikeme and Owanate Max-Harry. History Afrocritik was established by Nigerian lawyers ...

Emmanuel Daraloye Emmanuel Daraloye (born 30 December 1994) is a Nigerian music journalist. His works have appeared in ''NotJustOk'', ''TheCable'', ''The Lagos Review'', ''Vanguard'', ''The Guardian'', ModernGhana, Legit.ng, and ''Nigerian Tribune''. Early lif ...

and Yinoluwa Olowofoyeku also awarded the album 8 out of 10, praising its production, lyrics and Davido's voice. 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". Ovwe Medeme of ''

Premium Times ''Premium Times'' is a Nigerian online newspaper based in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria. The newspaper was launched in 2011. The online medium is notable for investigative journalism and reports, among other fields. Recognition * Nominated ...

'' newspaper thought the album was monotonous, but ended the review saying Davido chose to "focus on the lighter things of life". ''Pulse Nigeria'' 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. Adebiyi also notes the record lacks "thematic depth and offers no singular sonic pattern". ''

'' critic Dennis Peter said ''Timeless'' is a "reassertion of Davido's greatness" and that its "driving force is invincibility". In a review for ''GRM Daily'', Ore Bolarin commended Davido for "returning to form and displaying different feelings of longing, joy, and love". The '' Daily Post'' newspaper praised the album's sound engineering and percussion, but ended the review saying it "leaves some things to be desired". ''

Teen Vogue ''Teen Vogue'' is an American progressive online publication, formerly in print, launched in January 2003, as a sister publication to '' Vogue'', targeted at teenage girls and young women. Like ''Vogue'', it included stories about fashion and ...

''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". In a review for the website

Uproxx Uproxx Studios (stylized as ''UPROXX'') is an American music, entertainment and popular culture website and content studio. It was founded in 2008 by Jarret Myer and Brian Brater. The website was acquired in 2014 by Woven Digital (which later ...

, 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".

Commercial performance

''Timeless'' debuted at number 37 on the ''

Billboard 200 The ''Billboard'' 200 is a record chart ranking the 200 most popular music albums and EPs in the United States. It is published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists. Sometimes, a rec ...

'' chart, selling over 17,000 units in its first week. The album also debuted at number 10 on the

UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is the United Kingdom's industry-recognised national record chart for album, albums. Entries are ranked by sales and audio streaming. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the O ...

, becoming the second Nigerian album to debut in the top 10 (after

Burna Boy Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu (born 2 July 1991), known professionally as Burna Boy, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter and record producer. He gained recognition in 2012 after releasing "Like to Party", the lead single from his debut studio album '' ...

's ''

Love, Damini ''Love, Damini'' is the sixth studio album by Burna Boy. It was released on 8 July 2022 through Atlantic Records. The album features guest appearances from Ladysmith Black Mambazo, J Hus, Vict0ny, Popcaan, Blxst, Kehlani, Ed Sheeran, J Balvin, ...

''). 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. ''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. The album received over 12 million streams in its first 24 hours on

Audiomack Audiomack (often stylized as audiomack'')'' is a music streaming and audio discovery platform that allows artists to upload music and fans to stream and download songs. It is especially popular among emerging artists, offering a space to share th ...

, and had the biggest week ever recorded for any African album on the platform. ''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''.

Track listing

Charts

Certifications

Release history

References

{{Davido 2023 albums Davido albums Albums produced by Shizzi Albums produced by Magicsticks Albums produced by Blaisebeatz Yoruba-language albums Albums produced by Yung Willis Albums produced by Yung Alpha Davido Music Worldwide albums