Davido’s 5ive is a clear-cut attempt at cementing a legacy, raising a new one, breaking borders, with the Afrobeats flag flying high. Across seventeen tracks, he calls on some of the finest artistes from his home country, the USA, Jamaica and beyond. The first voice on this album doesn’t come from the singer. The iconic poet Alhanislam chaperones Davido into the lukewarm “Anything.”
When he sings about love, Davido is thoughtful and reserved; the days of the playboy are on hiatus. As expected, melodies are scattered across the album. Even when he brags about his riches, there is something different about the way he does it.
The drawback on this album remains Davido’s laid-back attitude. The writing is neither sophisticated nor elevated. Davido is relaxed, spicing things up with lamba, cliché expressions and the kind of lines that remind you why he has always been a trendsetter.
This LP swirls between romance and partying. It is a monotonous route, with Amapiano occasionally coming to the rescue. The crisp, clean production on this album could have been put to better use. The pockets of ear-warming songs are few and far between. Not even the usual Chris Brown collaboration could save the album, while the Omah Lay feature arrives too late.
The standout track, “R&B,” is actually a Dancehall track marinated in Afrobeats, featuring guest verses from Shenseea and 450.
The whole notion that Davido is not an album guy is laughable. This is the same guy who gave the world A Good Timeand Timeless. 5ive is not close to either of these albums.
There are pockets of beauty on this album, however, they are far between. More than a decade deep into the music industry, a little bit of complacency, like he displays on this album, seems forgivable. But with his two rivals, Wizkid and Burna Boy, also falling into the same hole, perhaps it is time they say goodbye and leave the stage for ambitious, hungry, creatively juicy artistes.
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