Music star Davido has revealed that his Grammy-nominated track ‘With You’, featuring Omah Lay, was almost left off his 5IVE album.
In an interview with OkayAfrica, Davido said the song was not a favourite during early listening sessions.
“Man, it’s so crazy because that song almost didn’t make the album. With You was not in anybody’s top five,” he said.
He described how emotional it feels to perform the song live, thinking about what might have happened if it had been dropped.
“And now look at it go. 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 recalled how he found out about his Grammy nomination. The call came unexpectedly while he was in Dubai shortly before his birthday.
“I was in the car, actually, checking a car, and then my phone rang. They were like, ‘Oh yeah, another nomination.’ I was like, wow. Thank God,” he said.
The song has been one of the most streamed Afrobeats tracks of the year, topping charts and passing 100 million streams on Spotify.
At the 68th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, “With You” was nominated in the Best African Music Performance category. Davido has now received five Grammy nominations in his career, but he did not win this year. South African singer Tyla won the award for her song Push 2 Start.
After the ceremony, Davido spoke to fans on social media.
“I just want you to feel alright. I love each and every one of you !! We Dey game!! We will continue to deliver,” he wrote.
He also congratulated fellow nominees on their wins and said his focus is now on touring and making new music. Davido is expected to perform at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in California in April.
