Davido Almost Didn’t Release ‘With You’ — Now It’s Grammy-Nominated
Five-time Grammy nominee Davido has revealed that one of his biggest recent hits — “With You,” featuring Omah Lay — almost didn’t make the final cut of his fifth studio album, 5IVE.
The Afrobeats superstar made the surprising disclosure while speaking at the Grammy Awards ceremony, admitting that the now Grammy-nominated track was initially overlooked during internal listening sessions for the project.
“Man, it’s so crazy because that song almost didn’t make the album,” Davido told OkayAfrica. “With You was not in anybody’s top five. And now look at it go.”
The singer said the song’s eventual success has often left him reflecting on how close it came to being shelved entirely.
“Every time I was performing it, my heart would just start beating like, what if I didn’t put this song?” he added.
Davido also opened up about how he learned of his latest Grammy nomination, revealing that the news caught him completely off guard. According to the singer, he was in Dubai, just days before his birthday, when the call came through.
“I was in the car, actually, checking a car, and then my phone rang,” he said. “They were like, ‘Oh yeah, another nomination.’ I was like, wow. Thank God.”
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Released in April 2025 as the 17th track on 5IVE, With You has gone on to become one of Davido’s most successful recent records. The song topped charts across multiple markets and has since surpassed 100 million streams on Spotify, cementing its place as a fan favourite.
Despite its global impact, Nigeria did not clinch a win at the 2026 Grammy Awards, with South African star Tyla taking home the Best African Music Performance prize.
Looking ahead, Davido says his focus is firmly on the road and the studio. The singer confirmed plans to tour extensively and release new music in the coming months.
He is also set to hit another career milestone with a historic appearance at Coachella 2026, where he will be the only Nigerian artiste on the lineup. Davido is scheduled to perform on April 11 and April 18, 2026, in Indio, California — further cementing his global superstar status.