On June 25, where music, culture and legacy collided at Martell’s first-ever Afrobeats Live panel in Paris, Davido made one thing clear: he’s still evolving. Just hours before joining AfroFuture’s Abdul Abdullah and founder of “The Afrobeats Podcast” Adesope Olajide on stage, the global superstar gave an exclusive interview with ESSENCE to reflect on where he’s been, where he’s headed and why he feels like his story is only just beginning.
One of the biggest headlines of the night was Martell’s announcement of a new three-year partnership with Davido — an extension of a relationship that started five years ago and has since grown into something much deeper. For the Atlanta-born, Lagos-raised singer, this collaboration with the cognac house goes beyond branding. It’s about shared values, cultural investment and a long-term vision for how Afrobeats can continue to shape the world.
“Yo. It’s so crazy just how everything started with Martell and where we at,” he says. “The journey has just been crazy.” Before music took over his life, Davido minored in business marketing in school and actually had career dreams that contrasted heavily with what he does now. “I used to really want to be behind the scenes, helping artists market, grow, write music, produce music, etcetera. I ended up just being the one to front everything,” he shares.
Speaking on his work with Martell, Davido adds, “It’s a job I love. It’s not easy but I think of ideas every day on how we can extend the culture. Not only thinking of music, but thinking of different ways to portray the music and just market it.”
Sébastien Borda, Martell’s Global Marketing Director, backs him up by highlighting the brand’s long-standing investment in culture.”It’s not like we woke up one day and said, ‘Oh, this Afrobeats thing is dope. Let’s jump on the trend,’” he tells ESSENCE. “This has been building mostly through the partnership that we’ve had with Davido for five years now. We’re at a point where we want to go further and work with people in the culture, whether they’re creators, artists, media or entrepreneurs.”
Lanre Odutola, Martell’s Cultural Partnerships and Influence Marketing Manager, continues, “We wanted to identify with someone who embodied what the brand’s values were. Davido is really someone who is very resilient, very authentic. He’s someone who creates lots of assets when it comes to music, but not just music; creating an environment and ecosystem that supports up-and-coming talents.”
And while the partnership has been fruitful, Davido’s vision is even bigger. Davido says a project about his life and career is finally happening and it makes sense being that he’s been active in the industry for about 14 years and counting. “I got a documentary coming out we’ve been working on. Obviously, we’ve been filming all my career,” he reveals. “I think it’s probably gonna be out, if not later this year or next year. We opened a page where we’re posting a lot of my old Snapchats. I used to be huge on Snapchat, like posting crazy stuff, a lot of stuff around my life. And that kinda just fizzled into us talking about the conversation. We even had to bring back people we hired years ago to bring back footage that we needed. It’s about to be dope.”
Streaming platforms are already circling. “We got a lot of people talking to us. Prime, Netflix, Hulu. The list goes on,” Davido confirms.
While fans wait for the documentary, they’ll get to experience Davido live as he kicks off his 5IVE Alive U.S. arena tour on July 11 in Los Angeles. He promises something fans have never seen from him before. “The production on this tour is out of this world,” he emphasizes. “We’re spending so much money, so much time, and just giving a good production. Afrobeats music is on the level now where we’re among the greats, you know what I’m saying? So we have to match up, man.”
The tour supports his fifth studio album, 5IVE, a project that blends global influence with his African roots. The album includes features from Victoria Monét, Becky G, Chris Brown, Shenseea, Tayc, Dadju and more — a blend of sounds and styles that reflects where he’s been and where he’s going creatively. “I was recording so much music. I picked 17 songs out of, like, 80 songs,” Davido shares. “It was easy for me to make because I had so much music to put out. But, it was a monumental album.”
One track that’s clearly resonating is “With You” featuring Omah Lay, inspired by influential Nigerian musician Bright Chimezie’s “Because of English.” What started as a sleeper favorite quickly turned into a viral hit. “Funny enough, when I was making the record, it wasn’t my top. I knew it was gonna go but I didn’t think it was gonna go like this,” he admits. “The people are really enjoying the record. It’s going crazy.” The song has racked up over 45 million Spotify streams to date, debuted at No. 7 on Billboard’s U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart and its video crossed one million views within 24 hours.
Still, Davido isn’t slowing down. During the Afrobeats Live panel, he revealed that a joint tour with longtime friend and collaborator Chris Brown is in the works. The two go way back with fan-favorite tracks like “Blow My Mind,” “Sensational,” “Hmmm,” and more. There’s no official date yet, but Davido says they’ve got more coming.
Beyond the hits, Davido is focused on cultural ownership — using his platform not just to entertain, but to invest in and uplift the culture in real ways. It’s a commitment reflected in his partnership with Martell and in initiatives he’s built from the ground up. One of those is his annual “A.W.A.Y. (Are We African Yet?) Festival” in Atlanta, which has become a celebration of African talent and community. “I started a festival, like, three years ago in Atlanta. Every year I try to bring someone new. I’ve done it the last two years. We’re doing it again this year,” he says. “That’s just me giving back to the city and also showing people the culture.” He’s also performing at ESSENCE Festival of Culture’s Evening Concert Series in New Orleans on Saturday, July 5 — adding another big stage to his already busy summer.
When asked what keeps him grounded through it all, Davido didn’t hesitate: “My family. My wife, and people that have been around for a long time.”
The awards, sold-out shows and viral moments speak for themselves — but for Davido, the mission has always been the same: to uplift the culture, invest in his people and move with purpose.
“You know, I love my job, apart from being a so-called rockstar, I actually love doing what I do.”
The ESSENCE Festival of Culture™ presented by Coca-Cola® will take place July 3-6. For more information and updates on the festival, visit our website and follow us on social media @ESSENCEFest on X, Facebook, and Instagram.