Davido: A Good Time review – Afrobeats-infused celebration

Singer-songwriter and producer Davido has said that A Good Time was so called partly in acknowledgement of the current global appreciation for Nigerian pop music. The sound of Afrobeats is joyously ubiquitous, and Davido, who grew up between Nigeria and the US, is one of its key players. This is a celebration, then: the release also follows the birth of his son, and the cover art features Davido, his father and a sculpture of his late mother.

His 2012 debut was criticised for a lack of variety, but here he pushes past that complaint with a broader array of sonic palettes beneath his gliding vocals. He enlists international features from the likes of current R&B favourite Summer Walker, who adds her caramel vocals to the lithe D&G, and trap star Gunna offering choppy, melodic bars on the intense energy of Big Picture, alongside some standout moments from his Nigerian cohort including WurlD, Zlatan and Naira Marley.

At 17 tracks long, A Good Time can drift into sunshine-infused listlessness, but it’s rescued by Davido’s undeniable charisma and intricate understanding of warm, uplifting pop instrumentation.