Five-time Grammy nominee Davido has revealed that his hit track With You, featuring Omah Lay, nearly failed to make the final cut of his album—despite later achieving global success and earning Grammy recognition.
The Afrobeats star shared the revelation during an interview with OkayAfrica, reposted by HYPETRIBE on Monday, as he reflected on the song’s journey and his latest Grammy nomination.
According to Davido, With You was not a favourite during internal listening sessions ahead of the album’s release.
“It’s so crazy because that song almost didn’t make the album. With You wasn’t in anybody’s top five,” he said.
Davido explained that he usually sends his projects to friends and family for feedback and rankings before release, adding that the song’s eventual success made its near exclusion especially emotional.
“Now look at how it’s gone. Every time I performed it, my heart would just start racing—thinking, what if I didn’t put this song out?” he added.
He also recalled how he found out about his latest Grammy nomination, describing the moment as unexpected. The news came while he was in Dubai, shortly before his birthday.
“I was in the car checking out a vehicle when my phone rang. They said, ‘Oh yeah, another nomination.’ I was like, wow. Thank God,” he said.
Since its release, With You has become one of Davido’s most successful recent records. The song topped the UK Afrobeats Singles Chart, peaked at No. 5 on the US Billboard Afrobeats Songs Chart, debuted at No. 1 on Nigeria’s TurnTable Top 100, and has amassed over 100 million streams on Spotify.
The track also won Most Iconic African Song at the 2025 AMAN Awards and earned Davido his fifth Grammy nomination, fueling hopes of his first Grammy win.
However, Nigeria ended the 2026 Grammy Awards without a win despite multiple nominations. Davido, Omah Lay, Burna Boy, Ayra Starr, and Wizkid all missed out in their respective categories, while South Africa’s Tyla won Best African Music Performance for Push 2 Start, beating With You and other Nigerian entries.
Looking ahead, Davido says his focus is now on touring and releasing new music. He is set to perform at the 2026 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on April 11 and April 18 in Indio, California.
As the only Nigerian artist on the lineup, the appearance marks a significant milestone in his international career.
“Going back on tour, definitely more music. I’m about to do Coachella. Big plans,” he said.
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