Nobody becomes part of Afropop’s Big Three by accident. It takes years of relentless work and real dedication to the craft. Davido has undoubtedly put in the work. Over the last 14 years, he’s built one of the most reliable catalogues in modern Afropop, growing alongside the genre as it evolved from a regional force into a global one.

Across five studio albums, he’s embraced reinvention, weathered personal loss and refined his strengths without losing sight of what made him a star in the first place. Not every album has landed with the same impact. Some stretched his artistry further, while others doubled down on the hitmaking formula that made him one of the continent’s biggest stars. Still, each project captures a distinct moment in both his career and Afropop’s story. With ‘Oriade’ on the way, there’s no better time to revisit the catalogue of one of Africa’s leading artists.

‘A Good Time’

The first instalment in the Time trilogy, ‘A Good Time,’ arrived seven years after Davido’s debut album. After years of dominating the charts with blockbuster singles, ‘A Good Time’ saw a return to the album format for Davido, a clear statement of intent as he sought to consolidate his status as an Afropop juggernaut. It’s arguably his most focused body of work to date, balancing hits across genres with moments of introspection while producing evergreen cuts like “Risky,” “D & G,” and “Blow My Mind.”

‘TIMELESS’

Love and loss are painted thoroughly in Davido’s fourth studio album. In a chat with CNN, the artist mentioned how the title, ‘Timeless’, was derived from his desire to have the album cemented as a classic for decades to come. With the project having amassed millions upon millions of streams, it’s safe to say that goal has since been reached. It makes for an exciting mix of Amapiano and Afrobeats, while simultaneously covering his battle with loss prior to the release of the album. The album’s unforgettable features elevated the project to unprecedented heights. From the club banger that is “UNAVAILABLE” to the vulnerability we got from “E PAIN ME”, ‘Timeless’ gives us the classic Davido we all know and love, while exploring the uncertainty and grief that surrounds the very concept of life. 

‘Omo Baba Olowo’

Released at a time when Nigerian Pop was entering a new commercial era, ‘Omo Baba Olowo’ introduced Davido as one of the genre’s brightest new stars. While it occasionally showed the rough edges of a young artist still finding his voice, its highs remain inarguable. Songs like “Dami Duro,” “Ekuro,” “All of You” and “Back When” became defining records of the era, helping to shape the aspirational, larger-than-life energy that would define mainstream Afropop throughout the decade.

‘A Better Time’

One of the factors that makes Davido’s  ‘A Better Time’ culturally resonant isn’t just the music, but its timing and how its anthemic lead single, “FEM,” arrived as a ray of sunshine amid the 2020 #EndSARS protests. Boasting a stacked lineup of guest features, including Nicki Minaj, Chris Brown, Young Thug, Lil Baby, Mayorkun, Sauti Sol and Sho Madjozi, it remains a body of work that underscores Davido’s ability to glide across genres and excel at collaborations, both locally and internationally. 

‘5IVE’

As his fifth studio project, ‘5ive’ plays it straight down the middle. Coming off the emotional reset of ‘Timeless,’ this album dials back the heaviness to focus entirely on what Davido does best: stacking big features and making hits for the club. Playing to one of his biggest strengths, ‘5IVE’ brought together collaborators from across the world without ever losing sight of Davido at the center. It also gave him one of the biggest songs of 2025 and earned him another Grammy nomination.