Davido: 5ive review – flashes of Afropop excellence – The Guardian

A man in a white and multicolored knit hat and fur coat smiles, showing his hand with rings. "The Observer" logo, a three-star rating, and a mention of Afropop hint at a Davido or 5ive review in this striking image.

One of the lodestars turning Afrobeats into an international phenomenon, Nigerian supernova David Adedeji Adeleke isn’t as famous in the UK as Burna Boy, Wizkid or Rema – he’s yet to have a hit such as Last Last, One Dance or Calm Down. Also, as his fifth album hints, his appeal may simply not be as global as theirs.

Davido’s albums (always 17 tracks) deal in the sort of subtle, luxurious beats that you’d hear anywhere from beachside bars to barbershops. At its best, 5ive is a decent sequel to 2023’s Timeless, which marked the…