As Davido celebrates 15 years in the music industry, The Nation has compiled 15 songs that trace his journey from breakout star to global Afrobeats icon. The list spans from his 2011 debut to his most recent international successes, highlighting the tracks that have shaped his career and Afrobeats’ global expansion.

The singer reflected on the anniversary, acknowledging what he described as divine timing during his 15-year run in the industry.

“God is the best of all planners! 15 years in da game”, he wrote on X.

The milestone aligns with his 2026 induction into Atlanta’s Black Music and Entertainment Walk of Fame, reinforcing his enduring influence on the genre.

Over the past decade and a half, Davido has delivered a string of hits that have not only dominated the Nigerian charts but also helped push Afrobeats onto the international stage.

1. Back When (2011) – The May 7, 2011, release introduced the 18-year-old as a confident newcomer and served as the lead single for his debut album Omo Baba Olowo.

2. Dami Duro (2011) – Released on October 30, the Shizzi-produced track bypassed the typical slow rise of new artists and became an instant cultural anthem ahead of his album launch.

3. All of You (2012) – A defiant GospelOnDeBeatz production that asserted his identity in an industry still assessing his potential.

4. Skelewu (2013) – The August 13 release sparked over 100,000 fan dance videos on YouTube, making it one of the earliest viral marketing successes in Nigerian music.

5. Aye (2014) – The Clarence Peters-directed love song, released February 1, became a continental hit and won Song of the Year at The Headies.

6. Fans Mi feat. Meek Mill (2015) – The June 9 collaboration marked his first major push into the U.S. hip-hop market, reaching one million YouTube views in 15 days.

7. IF (2017) – The February 17 comeback, produced by Tekno, reestablished him after a difficult Sony period and signalled a return to homegrown talent.

8. Fall (2017) – Released on June 2, it became the longest-charting Nigerian song in Billboard history and the first to earn RIAA gold certification, expanding Afrobeats’ global reach.

9. FIA (2017) – The November 10 single was the third in a four-hit streak that made 2017 his most dominant year.

10. Like Dat (2017) – Released November 24, it completed a run of four consecutive hits rarely matched by any Nigerian artist in a single year.

11. Assurance (2018) – The April 30 love letter to Chioma Rowland turned her into a household name and became an anthem across Africa.

12. Blow My Mind feat. Chris Brown (2019) – The July 26 collaboration highlighted Afrobeats’ growing parity with global pop acts.

13. FEM (2020) – Released September 10 as a response to Burna Boy, the song was later adopted as the unofficial anthem of Nigeria’s #EndSARS protests in October.

14. Unavailable feat. Musa Keys (2023) – The Amapiano-infused track reached No. 3 on Billboard’s U.S. Afrobeats chart and earned Davido his first Grammy nominations for Best African Music Performance, Best Global Music Performance, and Best Global Music Album.

15. With You feat. Omah Lay (2025) – The 17th track on his fifth album 5IVE surpassed 100 million Spotify streams and secured his fifth Grammy nomination, proving his relevance 15 years after his debut.