Latest news with #5ive
Black America Web
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Black America Web
Davido: The Pulse of Afrobeats on the Global Stage
Source: Reach Media / Urban One Davido is Posted on the Corner with DJ Misses and Incognito to talk it up about his new release 5ive, his family life, and upcoming tour. The youngest of five, he might command sold-out shows across continents, but staying grounded is clearly part of his DNA. Right now, he's gearing up for an international tour stretching from July through November—a testament to the worldwide appetite for Afrobeats STAY INFORMED! CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER! If you're a fan of Davido you know that he doesn't stay still. One minute he's in the US on stage the next minute he's in the mother land tearing it up. So when asked how he manages life on the road, Davido laughs. 'I was just complaining to my team the other day—we gotta slow down! We're about to go on tour, back to back until November.' For Davido, touring isn't just about personal milestones; it's about flying the flag for the culture. Despite its explosive growth, he reminds us, 'Globalization of African music is still fresh. We're just five or six years deep.' Right now, he counts 'maybe 10' globally recognized Afrobeats stars. Compared to hip hop's hundreds, the responsibility is heavy. 'We have to be everywhere at the same time, pushing it.' RELATED STORIES: Davido Breaks Down His 'Timeless' New Album Title And HBCU Beginnings Davido Shares Gospel Music Vision From His Father During His Wedding We all know it takes a village, and Davido's rise hasn't come in isolation. 'The beauty for me is seeing the people who were with me when it wasn't lit, now shining alongside me.' With a clear fondness for his team and day-one friends, Davido places loyalty and community at the heart of his success. Looking forward, he reveals he has dreams outside of music into wider entertainment. 'I definitely want to dabble in the media—even owning a TV or radio station, or bringing up new talent.' The wave of African music isn't the only thing he wants to carry worldwide. Davido's vision includes storytelling. He's working on a documentary, aiming to highlight not just his own story but the wider African experience for international audiences. 'We've got a whole film industry back home. More collaborations are happening… producers, chefs, creatives coming together.' He sees unity as the next leap for Afrobeat, mirroring the approach of the Latin music world, where art and commerce intersect to create global phenomena. READ MORE STORIES: Davido: The Pulse of Afrobeats on the Global Stage OOKA & Cookies Builds On Partnership, Launching CBD Pods Nationwide From Bad Boy To Sad Boy: Diddy Throws Up A Heart In Courtroom Sketch With the release of his latest album, 'Five,' Davido shares that getting it right took a blend of creativity and shrewd business. 'From music to promotion to marketing, we realized we had to match what global artists were doing. Beyoncé is rehearsing ten times a day! We needed to work harder and smarter, get the business side tight, and handle our visibility everywhere.' The result? Strategic collaborations, from Chris Brown and Victoria Monét to Jamaican stars like Shenseea and 450, building cross-cultural bridges between Africa and the Caribbean. Looking beyond his upcoming tour, Davido shares, 'There's so much about to happen. This is just the beginning.' Whether it's in a packed stadium in London or a club in Lagos, he carries the voice of a continent, and he's only just getting started. Check out the full interview below: HEAD TO THE HOMEPAGE The article 'Davido: The Pulse of Afrobeats on the Global Stage' was created with the help of SEE ALSO
News24
21-04-2025
- Entertainment
- News24
'We're very popular': Afrobeats star Davido sees Nigeria's star rising
Davido celebrates Nigeria's cultural rise, with Afrobeats shaping global music, fashion, and food scenes. He said his new album 5ive, released on Friday, "is going to touch every part of the world." Davido has more than eight million monthly listeners - including Britain's King Charles. The way Davido sees it, Nigerian culture is having a moment. "We're very popular, not only in music," the 32-year-old Afrobeats star told AFP during a recent interview in Paris, pointing to the film, food and fashion influence his country is increasingly exporting to the rest of the world. Even amid criticism from some that American artists are starting to crib from Afrobeats' sound, his response is: "I like it." Yet, the Nigerian-American artist—a self-described citizen of the world—sees the future of the continent tied to those who stay home rather than its influential diaspora. "Everybody always has the American dream," he told AFP. "Every kid that grows up in Africa wants to visit America. That's cool. It's okay to visit, but don't leave your people and go there." Those might be tough words to swallow for his compatriots battling the worst economic crisis in a generation. In recent years, "japa"—the Yoruba word for "escape"—has become country-wide slang for emigrating to greener and richer pastures. Davido, born David Adedeji Adeleke in Atlanta, in some ways, straddles the tension between a growing, bustling Nigeria of more than 200 million people and a world that finally seems to be waking up to the so-called Giant of Africa. Speaking to AFP before his new album, 5ive, released on Friday, he confidently said the record "is going to touch every part of the world." "We have music for the French people. We have music for the Caribbean people. We have music for the Americans, Africans, everybody," he said. "It's like a full, global package album." Eight million monthly listeners With some more than eight million monthly listeners - including Britain's King Charles - Davido is riding and shaping the global Afrobeats craze. But Davido himself is also a product of African music. "I grew up in an African household where we were always throwing parties, music was always playing in the house, going in the car to school, my parents playing music," he enthusiastically recalled. As a teenager, a cousin in the industry took him to a studio, where "for the first time, I saw somebody create music... African music." "That's when I fell in love with it," said Davido, spotting a grey conical woollen cap and jewellery dangling over a black T-shirt. A few years later, at the age of 16, he was mixing and mastering his own tunes, drawing inspiration from artists such as P-Square, a Nigerian duo that drew some of their hits from American influences such as Michael Jackson. Davido now sees artists' musical influence flowing across the Atlantic in the other direction. "It's a privilege for another culture to try to imitate what you're doing," he told AFP in response to a question about critics who accuse American artists of trying to mime Afrobeats' style. "In Nigeria, we do hip hop too. We have rappers that rap. We have people that do R&B." Music is a universal language. So I don't see any problem with that. Davido counts among some of his popular tracks Unavailable and Aye. 'African music has changed narrative' For all his worldly outlook, Davido said he hasn't lost focus on Nigeria. "We've been going through hard times," he told AFP. "Nigeria is a very rich country with so much talent, so much grace, so much opportunity." "I was asked a question saying, why don't we sing about (Nigeria's struggles) in our music?" he recalled. "I was like, man, that's not the type of music my people would really like to hear." "I have sung about it in the past. But I'm very vocal about it more in Africa than in America." As he prepares to embark on a world tour - including stops in Paris, London, New York, Atlanta, and Los Angeles - he knows where at least part of his success has come from. "African music has changed the narrative of how Africans are looked at around the world."
BBC News
18-04-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Wetin dey inside Davido '5ive' album
Grammy award nominee and popular afrobeats star David Adeleke wey pipo sabi as Davido dey make headlines sake of im new album. For im bio on im official X page Davide write "5ive out now" Nigerian multi awards winner release im fifth studio album wey im title '5ive' Tori be say di album na to give im fans small of wetin go dey inside di main album wen im finally release am. Davido bin don drop some singles wey dey inside di album wia im do collabo wit some ogbonge nigerian artistes like Chike, Odumodublvck and YG Marley. Im also feature artistes like Chris Brown, Victony, Omah Lay inside di album. Di album '5ive' dey come two years afta im last studio album 'Timeless', wey bin reach number one for Billboard World Albums Chart. Wetin dey inside dis album For inside dis album wey get 17 tracks Davido bin tok say im put all im heart for di songs wey dey inside di album. Na for December, 2025 im bin tok about di energy wey dey inside di album. "Di journey continue for 2025 wit my new album, 5IVE!! Dis one na straight from di heart - my story, my truth, my growth." Na for inside dis post im bin also annound say im dey release di single wey im title "Funds" wia im do collabo wit Odumodublvck and Chike. Davido bin add say di album na for go getters and pipo wey dey ride wit am. "Dis one na for dreamers, di go getters and everyone wey dey pursue wetin be dia own!.im write. How fans react to dis new album Davido fans react to dis album since e first announce am for December, 2024. For some of di fans, dem believe say di album na di best wey Davido drop while odas still take time to tok about di about di are work wey dey on top di cover say e make sense gan but weda di music also make sense, na music lovers go determine. Davido na one of Nigeria best music exports to di world. E don perform for big stages wey include di 2022 Fifa World Cup closing ceremony for Qatar.
Express Tribune
18-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Davido drops 5ive album featuring Chris Brown, Becky G, Victoria Monét and more global collaborators
Davido has released his fifth studio album, 5ive, via Davido Music Worldwide, RCA Records, and Sony Music UK. The 17-track project, out April 18, features global collaborations and marks a major milestone for the Afrobeats star. The album includes previously released singles like 'Awuke' featuring YG Marley, 'Funds' with Odumodublvck and Chike, and 'Be There Still.' Collaborators on other tracks include Victoria Monét ('Offa Me'), Becky G ('Tek'), Chris Brown ('Titanium'), and Shenseea and 450 ('R&B'). Additional appearances come from Musa Keys, Victony, Tayc, Dadju, and Omah Lay. In a statement, Davido described the album as deeply personal and reflective of his artistic evolution. 'This 5ive album? Man, it means everything to me. It's more than just a number — it's a statement of where I stand, five albums in,' he said. 'Getting to work with artists that I love and respect from all over the world on this project was a blessing. Different sounds, different cultures, but one vibe! This one right here shows my growth, my journey and where I am now in my life and my artistry.' The release follows Davido's 2023 album Timeless, which peaked at No. 2 on Billboard's World Albums chart and No. 37 on the Billboard 200. That project earned a Grammy nomination for best global music album, while its single 'Unavailable' featuring Musa Keys hit No. 3 on the U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart. Davido received another nomination this year for 'Sensational' with Chris Brown and Lojay, which marked both artists' Billboard Hot 100 debuts.
Sky News
30-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Sky News
Five on '90s fame, counselling, and finally reuniting: 'We were scared stiff'
From the beginning, the intention was clear. "Five bad boys with the power to rock you," came the shouty introduction in their first video, all hoodies and hair gel, the bandmates swaggering through a dim, strobe-lit corridor that suggested they might be trespassing - or at the very least, flouting a health and safety rule or two. Signed by a then little known Simon Cowell to create "chaos", Five (or 5ive) were the antidote to the squeaky clean boybands of the era. The image was tough egos, not hearts, on sleeves. Jason "J" Brown, Abz Love, Scott Robinson, Ritchie Neville and Sean Conlon burst into the charts and on to teen girls' walls with Slam Dunk (Da Funk) in 1997, and continued with hits including Everybody Get Up, If Ya Gettin' Down and Keep On Movin'. They had 11 top 10 singles in total, including three number ones, filled arenas, and even had their own dolls (which is when you really know you've made it). Behind the scenes, as we now know has been the case for so many young pop stars, things weren't always as carefree as they appeared. The inevitable split came after just four years, and a full reunion always seemed unlikely. A couple of comebacks involved different members, but never J. "I hated the industry," he said during his appearance on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! in 2007. "I ran away from it all." Earlier this year, however, the announcement was made: Five - all five! - were making a comeback. A month later, after a few weeks to process the reaction (the initial arena tour dates have more than doubled, due to demand), I meet them at their publicists' offices in London. A constant stream of easy ribbing has to be gently interrupted to get the interview going. Now in their 40s, the bandmates are aware the internet has cottoned on to how often they used to sing about getting up - and getting down - in most of their songs. "We were aware of that at the time," half-groans Ritchie. "We count a lot as well," laughs J. "We're an educational band." They are happy to be back in each other's company. Back in the day, there were squabbles, but never any serious fall-out, they say. Five split because they were tired of the industry, not each other. "We broke up out of love," says Ritchie. "Sean was having a bad time, he was 15 when he joined the band, and it is a high-pressure, high-stress situation. We were thrown into the deep end and it's sink or swim. It had been nearly five years of 18-hour days. We were worn out." When the video for the band's penultimate single, Let's Dance, was released, featuring a life-size cardboard cut-out of Sean in place of the real thing, it was claimed he had fallen ill. In reality, the pressures of the band, and fame, had become way too much. Scott was also suffering, desperate for a break and to spend time with his girlfriend, Kerry (the couple married shortly after Five's split). By the time they called it a day, they were all worn out. 'Our bond wasn't spoken about' "We ultimately made the call that it doesn't matter how many number ones you have, it's not worth this," Ritchie continues. " Our bond wasn't actually spoken about," says Sean, "because of that 'bad boy' image." There was a stigma, he says, and some pressure "to live up to being a lad". They were five young men given the opportunity of a lifetime, so some laddish behaviour was par for the course. But it wasn't the whole truth. "Really, we are five big softies." It was Scott who picked up the phone first. "I hadn't seen J or Abz for a long time. I kept on hovering over their names." Abz first. "Was it 'cus I'm at the top - A, B?" he laughs. Scott reassures him it was an intentional dial. "That means a lot, man." An AirBnB was booked and that was it - the first time in almost 25 years all five had been in the same room. Initially, they weren't reuniting as Five, simply as friends. But word got out, the offer came in. "We didn't sleep," says Sean, recalling the night before the launch. "We were scared stiff... petrified." Given their huge stardom back in the day - and following successful nostalgia-filled reunions by '90s-'00s contemporaries such as Steps and S Club 7 - surely they realised the comeback would be something of a cultural moment? Ritchie says not. "We're just normal dudes that did something that went bigger than I thought." There were fears of ending up "with egg on our face", J adds. "We release it as this big thing and it could have just gone 'pfff'." Staying in a hotel the night before the announcement, Scott called Kerry. "What if no one cares?" Just a few months earlier, millions had watched Ritchie, Sean and Scott taking part in the docuseries Boybands Forever, which pulled back the curtain on the darker side of fame. Their honesty about the mental health struggles they all faced during their time in Five no doubt contributed to the groundswell of support surrounding the comeback. "I suppose it's a massive part of the healing process," says Scott. "When I started speaking to the boys again, it was like, I'm not sad anymore. Because all of that stuff is a distant memory... I've gone from being a little bit broken, to complete again." They are keen to stress they had lots of good times. "So many highs," says Ritchie. "We played Rock In Rio. How many people was it?" "16 billion," one of his bandmates exaggerates. "We opened the Brits with Queen, Times Square, we went platinum in the States..." "I won two haircut awards," says Scott, adding with mock false modesty: "I don't like to talk about it." While they enjoyed so much of it, it got to the point where they were all desperately craving normality, and a rest. Now, they say it's "massively" important to talk about the low points, and how the industry can learn from its mistakes. 'Nobody's life is that good' "I think the marketing of bands of our era was really based around 'everything's positive, there's no troubles'," says Sean. "I don't really think that that's good for anybody." "Nobody's life is that good," adds Ritchie. Back then, mental health was not part of the conversation - particularly for five "bad boys". "Now, thankfully, it's spoken about a lot," says Scott. "I think it's so, so important." "It takes a lot of pressure off you," says J. "When we were doing it - and we were children doing it - and we are in this position of being on a pedestal almost. You're going through some really rough times and you just want people to know... [but] when you try and voice it to anyone else outside of this collective, it's like [the response is], 'you've got the world at your feet, you're this age, you've obviously got millions in the bank'..." "And that makes you feel a million times worse," Ritchie adds. "I remember having this conversation with one of my best friends. They were like, 'what have you got to be down about?' It actually broke me." Things are different now, Ritchie continues. When he joined the band, he was 17 and "didn't know what too much was". But signed artists now have access to counselling and support, he says. "We've already done it and it's absolutely amazing to be able to speak to someone and go, this is what I'm feeling," says Scott. "We didn't have that. We're not blaming anyone for that. It was a massive time in the '90s where we were all learning at the same time... We're older, they're older. We're more experienced and so are they." Abz chips in: "When you're so wrapped up in it, you're not sure what's left and what's right. To have that break, as wild and as long as it was, whatever happened in that time period, to actually all be here. We're very grateful." 'We didn't realise we were cool' There is also no longer such a snobbery around pop music now. "We didn't realise we were a really cool band," says Scott. "We didn't realise how good our songs were, and that's not blowing our own trumpet." After the split, they tried to "run away" from the music, he adds. J and Ritchie, who "hung out a lot" in later years, would inevitably get asked about it when they were out together. They hated it. "We used to apologise a lot," says Ritchie. "Oh yeah, we're from that rubbish band." He pretends to wince. "Sorry." "It's a ridiculous thing, a really adolescent mindset, the whole, 'I'm selling out'," says J. "I had that for a long time, unfortunately." With enough time passed, he now appreciates the Five back catalogue. "When I hear it, I can hear it fresh. And I'm like, that's why people were digging it." The pop conveyor belt was an industry mistake, says Sean, and artists paid the price. "They looked at our music and bands like us and they thought, okay, it's not really got a lot of depth to it, it's not really moving people in that way that they'd be able to do a tour 25 years later. So we'll get them working all day and all night, maximise it, profit-wise." But here they are, 25 years later. "Our music - and not just our band, the whole '90s era - meant so much to so many people. We're witnessing that now." At the moment, there are no plans for new songs. "I think fans want to hear the old music," says Scott. "They want to remember a simpler time when they didn't have a mortgage to pay. They want the nostalgia." Maybe later down the line though, he adds. Given everything they have been through, the highs and the lows, what would their advice be... "Don't do it!" Abz interrupts, laughing, before I get the chance to finish the question about the boybands following in their footsteps. Get the "right people" behind you, Ritchie says, seriously. "Sleep in the breaks," adds Scott. But would they recommend it? Especially given some of them are fathers now. "I'd do it all again, but different," says Abz. To which Sean quickly reminds him he is now doing exactly that.
