Davido's US Press Tour: Will He Crack The US Market?

Afrobeats superstar Davido has been on a roll recently as he has been setting and breaking records locally and internationally. The singer has continued to push barriers as he takes the African sound to towering heights. Earlier this year, Davido sold out his headlined concert at the O2 Arena. He joined the league of extraordinary African artists who are capable of achieving such a feat.

Davido

Davido has held tours in the US and the UK, penetrating deeply into the global scene with calculated moves. He has collaborated with international acts such as Quavo, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, Casanova, Tory Lanez, Meek Mill, and more. He is quickly gaining grounds in the global market and this has been conspicuous in recent times.

OBO

Rolling Stone published an article on how Davido’s Fall was getting attention in the US and this left many overwhelmed. Davido has consciously tried to break into the US market (signing a deal with RCA) in 2017, but it didn’t quite work out. Fall was one of the scores of hit songs Davido released on his return to Nigeria to focus more on the African sound. His singles If and Fall have since been on the rise in the US. Fall has been climbing Billboard charts and was reported to be the most Shazamed Non-American song in the US last year. This is such a huge deal for an African artist as it helps introduce Afrobeats to a new audience.

Davido OBO

As a result of the increase in popularity of Fall (and the African sound), Davido alongside his team (The Plug/Stealth mgmt) embarked on a media tour in the US so as to break further into the market. The press run kicked off on February 27 and Davido has been to various radio stations including Shade 45’s Sirius XM show. Davido told the host Dj Whoo Kid that he has tried to enter the American market before and it didn’t work but it worked when he quit trying. He was at a Meet and Greet in Miami which was organized by iHeartradio.

The press run has been smooth so far only with the exception of Davido’s freestyle on Sirius XM which fans have endlessly clowned him for. The freestyle has been described as wack and horrifying to watch. I dare say the freestyle was not a good one, but that doesn’t characterize the quality of his music which is what matters in the grand scheme of things. An artist (especially one that is not a rapper) is not defined by how good or bad he or she is at freestyling.

Davido

What I believe we should pay more attention to are the benefits of Davido’s US press tour. The possibilities it holds for Afrobeats and the African sound. Maybe African artists would truly break into the global market and have a stronghold in the US. Hopefully, the international audience will familiarize itself with the African sound and begin to seek more of it. Davido is at the frontline, wielding the African sound to tear into the international market.