A Good Time Explained
A Good Time is the second studio album by Nigerian singer Davido. It was released on November 22, 2019, through Davido Music Worldwide, RCA Records and Sony Music.[1] The album features guest appearances from Chris Brown, Summer Walker, Gunna, A Boogie wit da Hoodie, Dremo, Peruzzi, Popcaan, Zlatan, Yonda, Wurld and Naira Marley. Its production was handled by Speroach Beatz, Tekno, Shizzi, Kiddominant, P2J, London on da Track, and Fresh VDM, among others.[2] In December 2019, Davido announced a North American tour in support of the album; the tour was scheduled to begin in the winter and end in spring 2020.[3] In March 2020, Davido postponed the tour due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.[4]
Background
Davido recorded A Good Time in Atlanta, and told Vibe magazine he wanted to record in a new environment.[5] [6] He described the album as a body of work for everybody and said it would be predominantly Afrobeats, but would incorporate elements of other genres.[6] Davido disclosed the album's title during an event held in Lagos in September 2019, and said it would be released the following month.[7] Davido also unveiled snippets of four songs from the album during the event. Following his performance at Powerhouse 2019, Davido spoke with Power 105.1's DJ Self and said the album will feature collaborations with Summer Walker, Gunna, A Boogie and Chris Brown, among others.[8] A Good Time was produced entirely by Nigerian producers, except for one track. The album's cover art features Davido, his father, and a sculpture of his late mother.[9]
Singles
The album's lead single, "If", was released on February 17, 2017.[10] It was produced by Tekno, who supposedly ghost wrote the track for Davido.[11] The song was certified diamond by the Recording Industry of South Africa, indicating shipments of 200,000 units.[12] "If" won Best Pop Single and Song of the Year at The Headies 2018.[13] Reviewing for OkayAfrica, Sabo Kpade described the song as a "slow burner" with an "unfussy beat that sounds hollowed out and isn't cluttered with instruments". The music video for "If" was recorded in London; it was directed by Director Q and produced by Tunde Babalola.[14] The former has worked with Burna Boy and Ycee, while the latter produced "Skelewu", "Wanted", "Bobo" and "Antenna".[14] Davido teamed up with menswear designer Orange Culture to release a capsule collection inspired by "If".[15]
The album's second single, "Fall", was released on June 2, 2017.[16] It samples a line from Kojo Funds's "Dun Talking",[17] and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry of South Africa.[12] "Fall" was one of the top-100-most-Shazam-searched singles in America in January 2019, and was a top-10 record on Shazam in New York.[18] In February 2019, it became the longest charting Nigerian pop song in Billboard history.[19] "Fall" was ranked at number 163 on Pitchforks list of the 200 Best Songs of the 2010s.[20] The accompanying music video for "Fall" was directed by Nigerian-born British video director Daps.[21] In December 2018, the video surpassed 100 million views, becoming the most viewed video by a Nigerian artist on YouTube.[22]
"Assurance" was released on April 30, 2018, as the album's third single.[23] It samples Paw Paw's "Biggie Biggie".[24] The song was produced by Speroach Beatz and has been described as a love track. Davido dedicated "Assurance" to his girlfriend and released it to coincide with her 23rd birthday.[25] In an interview with Konbini Channels, Speroach Beatz said he made the beat in an hour and that Davido spent 30 minutes recording the song.[26] Reviewing for Native magazine, Toye Sokunbi said the song "speaks volumes for the importance of clarity in the age of emojis, validation from our loved ones and putting love first, against all odds".[27] The accompanying music video for "Assurance" was directed by Meji Alabi.[24]
The Chris Brown-assisted track "Blow My Mind" was released on July 26, 2019, as the album's fourth single.[28] Produced by one of Davido's frequent collaborators Shizzi, the song was initially intended to be released as the album's lead single.[29] Musically, "Blow My Mind" contains lyrics pertaining to a girl who simply blows Davido's mind.[30] In the Edgar Esteves-directed visuals for "Blow My Mind", Davido and Chris Brown spend quality time in a motel with their significant other. The video amassed one million views in 11 hours, surpassing Wizkid's "Fever" and "Come Closer" to become the fastest Nigerian music video to achieve this feat.[31] It also became the Nigerian music video with the highest number of views within the first 24 hours of its release.
The album's fifth single, "Risky", was released on October 23, 2019.[32] [33] It features guest vocals by Jamaican singer Popcaan, who previously enlisted Davido to appear on his 2018 single "Dun Rich". The video for "Risky" was directed by Meji Alabi and pays homage to the crime drama series Top Boy. In the video, a female member of Davido's and Popcaan's crew informs upon them to police.
Other releases
On December 19, 2019, Davido released the Meji Alabi-directed music video for "Sweet in the Middle".[34] It features clips of an arid Lagos landscape and post-apocalyptic scenes that are reminiscent of Mad Max films.
On March 3, 2020, Davido released the video for "1 Milli", which was directed by Director K and depicts a wedding celebration between Davido and his fiancé.[35] The video contains a ceremonial scene of a middle-aged woman who rides a horseback while dressed in a traditional attire. It was criticized for bearing a striking resemblance to Entitled, a 2018 short film by Nigerian-British filmmaker Adeyemi Michael. Director K clarified on Instagram he was inspired by Michael's work and wanted to "recreate the iconic shot of Michael's mother on horseback".
On April 23, 2020, Davido released the Daps-directed music video for "D&G". In it, he and Summer Walker are decked from head-to-toe in Dolce & Gabbana clothing. The video was shot in Los Angeles while Davido was on his North American tour.[36] Davido told CNN that all proceeds from the "D&G" video will support the Dolce & Gabbana and Humanitas Together for Coronavirus Research Fund.[37]
Critical reception
Tara Joshi of The Guardian awarded the album 3 stars out of 5, commending Davido for offering a "broader array of sonic palettes". Joshi also wrote that the album "can drift into sunshine-infused listlessness, but it’s rescued by Davido’s undeniable charisma and intricate understanding of warm, uplifting pop instrumentation". Pitchforks Sheldon Pearce granted the album an 8.3 rating out of 10, describing it as a "buoyant, unsinkable record" and applauding Davido for providing "not just an integrated sound all his own but a clear vision for its future".[38]
The Natives Toye Sokunbi said that from a sonic standpoint, the album "emblemises Davido's resolute Africa-first creative gaze while expending a wide-range of collaborators as homage to afropop's expansive inspirations and influences".[39] Also reviewing for The Native, Debola Abimbolu said A Good Time relieved Davido from the "pressure of delivering songs that instantly resonate as club bangers".[40] Moreover, Abimbolu opined that all five singles "lose some of their gloss when they all run together and are padded out with different versions of the same piano-heavy afropop beat".
In a mixed review for Pulse Nigeria, Motolani Alake felt the album "lacks the presence of multiple groundbreaking and mind-blowing songs" despite being cohesive.[41] TooXclusive's Oluwatobi Ibironke rated the album 7 out of 10, echoing similar sentiments made by Alake.[42] Jaguda's Arthur Shur gave the album a rating of 6 out of 10, describing the listening experience as "a physics wave motion".[43] Shur also said the album is "average" when previously released singles are omitted.
Track listing
Credits adapted from The Native magazine and the website Modern Ghana.[44] [45]
Notes
- "If" samples lyrics from Lagbaja's "Gra Gra", a song from the album WE (2000).[46]
Notes and References
- Web site: Tomiwa . Album: Davido – "A Good Time" (Pre-Order) . TooXclusive . 16 November 2019 . October 25, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191116182605/https://tooxclusive.com/album-davido-a-good-time-pre-order/ . 16 November 2019 . live .
- Web site: Rufaro Samanga . Listen to Davido's New Album 'A Good Time' . OkayAfrica . 23 November 2019 . November 22, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191123164111/https://www.okayafrica.com/davido-new-album-a-good-time-listen/ . 23 November 2019 . live .
- Web site: Matthew Strauss . Davido Announces North American Tour . Pitchfork . 10 January 2020 . December 17, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191218194155/https://pitchfork.com/news/davido-announces-north-american-tour/ . 18 December 2019 . live .
- Web site: Benjamin Njoku . Davido saddened as his US tour is postponed . Vanguard . 15 March 2020 . March 14, 2020 . 14 March 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200314135700/https://www.vanguardngr.com/2020/03/davido-saddened-as-his-us-tour-is-postponed/ . live .
- Web site: Jesse Bernard . Davido's Enjoying The Best Of Both Worlds . . 3 November 2019 . October 24, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191025230508/https://www.complex.com/music/2019/10/davido-interview . 25 October 2019 . live .
- Web site: Stacy-Ann Ellis . 20 Minutes With Davido: The Afrobeats Giant Talks Confidence, Timing And Strong Foundations . . October 15, 2019 . November 3, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191128020032/https://www.vibe.com/2019/10/davido-interview . November 28, 2019 . live .
- Web site: Motolani Alake . Davido's new album, 'A Good Time' set for October release . Pulse Nigeria . 3 November 2019 . September 5, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190915054018/https://www.pulse.ng/entertainment/music/davidos-new-album-a-good-time-set-for-october-release/krxhhxf . 15 September 2019 . live .
- Web site: Deanna Moore . Davido Announces Collabs With Summer Walker And A Boogie On Upcoming Album . . 3 November 2019 . October 26, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191103172357/https://power1051.iheart.com/featured/powerhouse/content/2019-10-26-davido-announces-collabs-with-summer-walker-and-a-boogie-on-upcoming-album/ . 3 November 2019 . live .
- Web site: Tara Joshi . Davido: A Good Time review – Afrobeats-infused celebration . The Guardian . 24 November 2019 . 24 November 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191127222524/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/nov/24/davido-a-good-time-review-afrobeats . 27 November 2019 . live .
- Web site: If - Single by Davido . . 23 November 2019 . February 17, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191123175742/https://music.apple.com/us/album/if-single/1205929054 . 23 November 2019 . live .
- Web site: Sabo Kpade . Hear Davido's New Single 'If,' Produced By Tekno . OkayAfrica . 23 November 2019 . February 20, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190829014241/https://www.okayafrica.com/davido-if-download-mp3-produced-by-tekno/ . 29 August 2019 . live .
- Web site: OBO's 'If' goes Diamond, 'Fall' hits platinum in South Africa . Pulse Nigeria . 23 November 2019 . February 20, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191123175826/https://www.pulse.ng/entertainment/music/davido-obos-if-goes-diamond-fall-hits-platinum-in-south-africa/1mxg03p . 23 November 2019 . live .
- Web site: Billy Praise . The Headies 2018: Full List of Winners. . Guardian Life . 16 March 2019 . 5 May 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190328042759/https://guardian.ng/life/music/the-headies-2018-full-list-of-winners/ . 28 March 2019 . live .
- Web site: Elvis Adi . Exclusive behind the scene video : Davido’s "If" . Trace TV . 23 November 2019 . 8 March 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191210192114/https://trace.tv/videos/exclusive-behind-scene-video-davidos/ . 10 December 2019 . live .
- Web site: Olamide Olarewaju . 1st look at designer, singer's capsule collection in Selfridges . Pulse Nigeria . 15 December 2019 . September 13, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191215135406/https://www.pulse.ng/lifestyle/fashion/orange-culture-x-davido-1st-look-at-designer-singers-capsule-collection-in-selfridges/6ntjz71 . December 15, 2019 . live .
- Web site: Fall - Single by Davido . Apple Music . 23 November 2019 . June 2, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191210192110/https://music.apple.com/us/album/fall-single/1243164651 . 10 December 2019 . live .
- Web site: Tobi Akingbade . Afrobeat singer Davido asks haters ‘are you God?’ after strings of plagiarism accusations . . 17 March 2019 . 29 November 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191210192110/https://metro.co.uk/2017/11/29/afrobeat-singer-davido-asks-haters-are-you-god-after-strings-of-plagiarism-accusations-7119432/ . 10 December 2019 . live .
- Web site: Elias Leight . Davido's 'Fall' Is Finally Catching On in the U.S., But It Should Be Bigger . . 17 March 2019 . 20 January 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191207024509/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/davido-fall-us-radio-shazam-780079/ . 7 December 2019 . live .
- Web site: Damola Durosomo . Davido's 'Fall' Is the Longest-Charting Nigerian Pop Song in Billboard History . OkayAfrica . March 1, 2019 . February 6, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190301140233/https://www.okayafrica.com/davidos-fall-is-the-longest-charting-nigerian-pop-song-in-billboard-history/ . March 1, 2019 . live .
- Web site: The 200 Best Songs of the 2010s . . 12 October 2019 . October 7, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191011032035/https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/the-200-best-songs-of-the-2010s/ . 11 October 2019 . live .
- Web site: Bada . Gbenga . 5 leading Nigerian music video directors you should know . Pulse Nigeria . 18 May 2020 . August 19, 2019 . 17 June 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200617135244/https://www.pulse.ng/entertainment/music/5-leading-nigerian-music-video-directors-you-should-know/2vw9l3v . live .
- Web site: Ohunyon . Ehis . Davido's 'Fall' becomes most viewed video by a Nigerian artist on Youtube . Pulse Nigeria . 17 March 2019 . 18 December 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191210192106/https://www.pulse.ng/entertainment/music/davidos-fall-is-most-viewed-nigerian-music-video-on-youtube/45vhcn1 . 10 December 2019 . live .
- Web site: Marcus Brown . Davido – "Assurance" . TooXclusive . 23 November 2019 . April 30, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190812031256/https://tooxclusive.com/song-davido-assurance-download/ . 12 August 2019 . live .
- Web site: Damilola Animashaun . Davido Declares Summer Time Cuffing Season In The Video For 'Assurance . Konbini Channels . 24 November 2019 . February 5, 2018.
- Web site: Ehis Ohunyon . Singer's new single, Assurance hits 1M views in 24 hours . Pulse Nigeria . 24 November 2019 . May 3, 2018 . 25 July 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200725004851/https://www.pulse.ng/entertainment/music/davido-singers-new-single-assurance-hits-1m-views-in-24-hours/2clgpjv . live .
- Web site: Daniel Orubo . Discover: SperoachBeatz, The Producer Behind Davido's 'Assurance' & 2Baba's 'Amaka' . Konbini Channels . 23 November 2019 . 30 August 2018.
- Web site: Toye Sokunbi . Best New Music: Davido's "Assurance" Stamps Summer '18 as the Season of Love . Native Magazine . 24 November 2019 . May 1, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181018012323/http://thenativemag.com/music/davido-marks-summer-season-love-assurance/ . 18 October 2018 . live .
- Web site: Blow My Mind - Single by Davido . . 24 November 2019 . July 26, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191215172746/https://music.apple.com/us/album/blow-my-mind-single/1473507415 . 15 December 2019 . live .
- Web site: Davido And Chris Brown Release New Single "Blow My Mind" . . 24 November 2019 . 26 July 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191215172805/https://www.rcarecords.com/news/davido-and-chris-brown-release-new-single-blow-my-mind/ . 15 December 2019 . live .
- Web site: Adewojumi Aderemi . Watch the intimate music video for Davido & Chris Brown's 'Blow My Mind' . Konbini Channels . 24 November 2019 . 30 July 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191215172746/https://www.konbini.com/ng/music/davido-chris-brown-intimate-lovers-video-blow-mind . 15 December 2019 . live .
- Web site: Adewojumi Aderemi . Davido's Video For 'Blow My Mind' Breaks Two YouTube Records In A Day . Konbini Channels . 24 November 2019 . 1 August 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191215172746/https://www.konbini.com/ng/music/davido-set-yet-another-record-with-blow-my-mind . 15 December 2019 . live .
- Web site: Evan Minsker . Davido and Popcaan Share New Song "Risky": Listen . . 24 November 2019 . October 23, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191025230510/https://pitchfork.com/news/davido-and-popcaan-share-new-song-risky-listen/ . 25 October 2019 . live .
- Web site: Michael Saponara . Davido & Popcaan Get Framed in 'Top Boy'-Inspired 'Risky' Video . . 24 November 2019 . October 23, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191129195953/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/hip-hop/8540155/davido-popcaan-risky-video-watch . 29 November 2019 . live .
- Web site: Watch Davido's New Video For 'Sweet in the Middle' Featuring WurlD, Naira Marley & Zlatan . OkayAfrica . 6 January 2020 . December 19, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191220100815/https://www.okayafrica.com/davido-sweet-in-the-middle-video-watch/ . 20 December 2019 . live .
- Web site: Damola Durosomo . Davido's '1 Milli' Video Called Out for Allegedly Copying the Work of Nigerian Artist Adeyemi Michael . OkayAfrica . 9 March 2020 . March 6, 2020 . 27 March 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200327045928/https://www.okayafrica.com/davido-1-milli-music-video-accused-of-copying-adeyemi-michael-short-film-entitled/ . live .
- Web site: Rufaro Samanga . Watch Davido's New Music Video for 'D&G' Featuring Summer Walker . OkayAfrica . 25 April 2020 . April 24, 2020 . 24 April 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200424133606/https://www.okayafrica.com/watch-dg-music-video-davido-new-music/ . live .
- Web site: Melas . Chloe . Davido releases 'Dolce & Gabbana' music video and donates proceeds to coronavirus research after fiancée tests positive . CNN . 26 April 2020 . April 26, 2020 . 26 April 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200426000812/https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/25/entertainment/davido-dolce-gabbana-music-video-coronavirus/index.html . live .
- Web site: Sheldon Pearce . Davido: A Good Time . Pitchfork . 26 November 2019 . 26 November 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191127201500/https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/davido-a-good-time/ . 27 November 2019 . live .
- Web site: Toye Sokunbi . 'A Good Time'Unravels a New Era for Davido's Artistic Excellence . Native . 26 November 2019 . November 22, 2019 . 25 July 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200725004204/https://thenativemag.com/music/davido-a-good-time/ . live .
- Web site: Debola Abimbolu . Essentials: Davido delivers 'A Good Time' As Promised . Native . 26 November 2019 . November 22, 2019 . 15 May 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200515134222/https://thenativemag.com/music/essentials-davido-delivers-good-time-promised/ . live .
- Web site: Motolani Alake . Davido's ‘A Good Time’ lives in its cohesion [Album Review] ]. Pulse Nigeria . 26 November 2019 . 25 November 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191127234245/https://www.pulse.ng/entertainment/music/davido-a-good-time-album-review-naira-marley-zlatan-peruzzi-summer-walker-feature/wp54nwv . 27 November 2019 . live .
- Web site: Taiwo Oluwafemi . Davido Matures Well on "A Good Time" – Album Review . Tooxclusive . 28 November 2019 . November 27, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191128144549/https://tooxclusive.com/davido-matures-well-on-a-good-time-album-review/ . 28 November 2019 . live .
- Web site: Arthur Shur . Take Out ‘Fall’, ‘If’, ‘Assurance’, ‘A Good Time’ Album By Davido Is Bang Average . Jaguda . 26 November 2019 . November 26, 2019 . 30 November 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191130042611/http://jaguda.com/featured-2/take-out-fall-if-assurance-a-good-time-album-by-davido-is-bang-average/ . live .
- Web site: Peter . Dennis . Here's a list of songwriters enlisted for Davido's sophomore album, 'A Good Time' . Native . 25 April 2020 . December 16, 2019 . 17 May 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200517074608/https://thenativemag.com/music/list-notable-songwriters-davido-a-good-time/ . live .
- Web site: Wale Applause . Davido – A Good Time Album Review . Modern Ghana . 23 November 2019 . 22 November 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191123140526/https://www.modernghana.com/entertainment/61388/davido-a-good-time-album-review.html . 23 November 2019 . live .
- Web site: Toye Sokunbi . Davido vs. The World . Native . 15 March 2020 . May 10, 2018 . 21 December 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191221204221/https://thenativemag.com/featured/davido-vs-world/ . live .