Davido says Afrobeats stars used to be comfortable with African success

On May 15, 2025, 4:19 AM

In a recent interview on Culture Knockout, Davido talks about how Afrobeats stars used to be comfortable with dominating the African continent before the music caught Afrobeats’ global attention.

Davido recalls scoring his first hit song at 17 and growing to become a successful superstar who commanded up to $200K for concerts across Africa in countries like Congo, Gabon, and Mali.

“Before Afrobeats went global, we African artists were comfortable being in Africa. I was going to Gabon, Senegal, and getting 200,000 USD for a show, and I was 21, 23, 23 years old,” Davido shared.

He also explained how African music stars were making money on the continent from the success of their work and the patronage of wealthy Africans who supported them.

Davido’s comment came in the contect of the misconception about the size and viablity of the African music market by foreign listeners and the media.

He shared that not until his 2017 smash hit single ‘Fall’ gained international success, he was mostly resident in Nigeria and only travelled to perform when required to.

Following the success of ‘Fall,’ Davido shared that it was the first time he had to go to the US and the UK for an elaborate media tour to promote the single that became one of Afrobeats’ most notable crossover hits.

Since Nigerian music gained global success, Davido has maintained his place in the scheme of things through his steady release of hit singles, with the latest being his fifth album ‘Five’.

On being part of the stars propelling Afrobeats, Davido also gives credit to the collection of artists propelling the sound.

In the interview, he said Afrobeats is now beyond just the big 3 leading the sound, but there’s now a big 20 with more artists contributing tangibly to the global success.

You can watch Davido’s full interview on the Culture Knockout below.

Story By Pulse Nigeria