Afrobeat singer David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, has finally dropped his much-awaited album, ‘Timeless’.
This comes after Davido took a break from public life to deal with the tragic loss of his three-year-old son, Ifeanyi.
After almost six months away — except for a performance at the 2022 FIFA World Cup closing ceremony — the American-born entertainer said he is healing and “ready to stand up again.”
The music star took to his social media page in the early hours of Friday to announce the release of the 17-track project to his numerous fans.
The ‘OBO’ crooner also talked about the process he went through from his previous album to the latest.
Davido also gave Chioma Rowland, his wife, a shout-out while appreciating his fans and the people who ensured the completion of the project.
“At long last – WE are back. The journey from my last album to this album has been a whirlwind to say the least,” Davido wrote on Twitter.
He said he recalled sitting and staring over the ocean not too long ago, “wondering if I could get here again, after all I’ve been through… but with your love & support, we made it.
“I’m not sure what comes after this but I wanted to give you my heart, soul and energy. Today I present you “TIMELESS”.
“So many people to thank who helped make this happen but first, I must send a special thank you to the strongest woman I know, @thechefchi!
“Thank you, thank you, thank you. And to all my supporters – I love you. Now, enjoy! I’ll see you all on road soon!”
The album features exciting Nigerian and international artists such as Fave, Asake, and Cavemen, as well as British-Nigerian rapper Skepta, multi-Grammy winner Angelique Kidjo, South African singer Musa Keys, and Jamaican Dancehall star Dexta Daps.
The 17-track album called “Timeless” is Davido’s fourth studio project since he ventured into music 11 years ago.
The title, he says, is a manifestation of his goal for the album to remain a classic for decades.
“I know in years to come, if you interview me, we are still going to be talking about this album,” he recently told CNN’s Larry Madowo in Lagos, Nigeria.
The album explores multiple sub-genres of music including Afrobeats, Amapiano and Dancehall. According to Davido, the mix of sounds was to ensure that anyone who listens has a song that suits their tastes.
“Every time I play the album for somebody, there’s two, three tracks they like personally that they can take home with (them). And I feel like that’s how an album should be,” he explained.
Talking about the grief of losing a child, the performer said that before settling on the final version of “Timeless,” the album went through at least three different phases.
And while there are tracks with a lot of high energy and “good vibes,” he says grieving the loss of his son had some impact on the project. “Before my son passed, we had finished the album. But it was a tragic situation and I really had to calm myself down and take a step back,” he explained.
“On the album, you will hear a couple of songs that might take you back and into some emotions … you will definitely hear me talk about a couple of things I’ve been through personally,” he added.
The artist credits his return to the music scene to the overwhelming amount of support he received from family, friends, fans and well-wishers.
“At some point I couldn’t open my Instagram for weeks. One day, I just checked it and I saw messages from every kind of person in the world. I was like ‘you’re fine, you see everybody is rooting for you.’ That was one thing that really made me strong enough to stand up again, get back in the studio and do what I love,” Davido told CNN.
And now that he is back doing what he loves, the goal, he says, is for him and his team to continue to make music that resonates with people.
“That’s what we’re here to do, that’s what we were brought to do in this world. I’m just ready to get back, I’m ready to just go back on the road. A lot of things are going to be different.”