Davido Explained How ‘With You’ Almost Didn’t Make It Onto The Album

Nigerian artist Davido has disclosed that his Grammy-nominated song “With You,” featuring Omah Lay, almost did not appear on the final tracklist of his 5IVE album.

In a recent interview, Davido mentioned that the song was not initially well-received during internal listening sessions, and he considered omitting it from the album altogether.

“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 also reflected on the song’s unexpected popularity, stating,

“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?”

Davido recounted the moment he discovered the Grammy nomination, describing it as a surprise while he was in Dubai, just 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.

Since its debut, “With You” has emerged as one of Davido’s most successful songs, topping charts and exceeding 100 million streams on Spotify, in addition to receiving a Grammy nomination for Best African Music Performance. However, the award eventually went to South African artist Tyla.

Looking forward, Davido indicated that he is now concentrating on touring and releasing new music. He is set to perform at Coachella 2026, becoming the only Nigerian artist on the festival’s lineup, with performances scheduled for both Saturdays, April 11 and April 18, in Indio, California.

“Going back on tour, definitely more music. I’m about to do Coachella. Big plans,”

he stated, suggesting that 2026 is likely to be a busy year for the Afrobeats artist.

🚨 Davido reveals that “With You” almost didn’t make the album and every time he performs it now, he thinks about what could’ve been speaking with OkayAfrica at the #GRAMMYs red carpet. pic.twitter.com/pl1Kevacpm

— THE DEBUT HUB (@thedebuthub) February 2, 2026