For the past five years, Davido, the Afrobeats megastar, and French cognac house Maison Martell have been in perfect lockstep. The partnership began in 2021 when the Nigerian-American artist was named an international brand ambassador and the face of its Be The Standout Swift campaign in Nigeria.
Most recently, they collaborated on the rollout of Davido’s sixth studio album, Oriadé, and the launch of the new Afrobeats Limited Editions, the VS and XO. Unveiled at Bathhouse Studios in New York City, the Martell VS and XO bottles feature Prince Gyasi’s vibrant designs, inspired by the energy, movement and global influence of Afrobeats. The VS edition features a portrait of Davido surrounded by soundwaves, while the XO edition incorporates gold detailing and original artwork by Gyasi, extending across the bottle and presentation box. Davido’s relationship with Maison Martell, he tells us, is a symbiotic one.
As it happens, the launch of the limited editions also coincides neatly with the release of the video for his latest single, “Already Falling”, a standout gem in the Oriadé crown, filmed at Martell’s historic Château de Chanteloup estate in Cognac. Oriadé (which is Yoruba for “The Crowned Destiny”) is arguably Davido’s most focused project to date. At just 10 tracks, it’s a lean offering that nevertheless covers considerable ground. The interplay between Amapiano and Afrobeats proves as fertile as ever, bringing out a more laid-back side of Davido, whose taste for opulence remains undiminished. Now six albums deep, having bridged the gap between West Africa and the Western hemisphere, Davido looks ahead to a triumphant homecoming residency at the National Theatre in Lagos this Detty December. He promises it will not only rival Bad Bunny’s Puerto Rico shows, but also prove to be a watershed moment for Nigeria’s music scene and the many stars who have risen up and gone on to take over the world.
Complex UK sat down with Davido to unpack his ongoing partnership with Maison Martell, his new album and the upcoming residency. Dive in below.
COMPLEX: You’ve had a relationship with Martell for five years now. Looking back at how it’s developed and grown over the years, how does it feel to see your journey with the Maison reflected in a limited edition?
Davido: It’s beautiful because, when I first met Martell, I was really just meant to do a campaign with them. Over the years, that relationship has grown into us touring together and now having my own bottle. It’s been an amazing journey. I never imagined when we started that we would get to where we are today. The relationship between Martell and me has grown so much, and we’ve both contributed a lot to it. I’m grateful for everything we’ve been able to build together and just happy to still be on this journey with them.
This limited edition brings together your music with Prince Gyasi’s visual art. What was it like seeing your image and the energy of Afrobeats interpreted through Prince’s creative vision?
Music and art naturally go together, so shout-out to Prince. He’s an amazing talent. I’ve always loved the Martell bottle, especially the Swift, so seeing what he was able to do with it was special. And the fact that he’s my African brother makes it even better! We come from two different creative worlds: I’m in music and he expresses himself through visual art, but we’re both from West Africa. To see those worlds come together and create something like this is amazing.
Afrobeats has become a global cultural force, influencing everything from fashion and art to design and nightlife. What does it mean to you to see that influence brought to life through a physical product like this?
It’s amazing to see, especially because I grew up in the States. I remember being in school, telling my friends about the culture and playing Nigerian music for everybody. I always used to say that, one day, this would become one of the biggest genres in the world, and now we’re watching that happen right in front of us. It’s a special feeling for me because I’ve experienced both sides. I’m Nigerian, but I also grew up in America, so I’ve seen how much perceptions have changed. To now see Afrobeats influencing music, fashion, art, design and culture around the world feels like a full-circle moment. I always believed people would eventually connect with the culture.
From your perspective, what’s changed the most in how the music is understood and experienced around the world outside of West Africa?
I think the biggest change has been the level of acceptance and the opportunity for the music to be heard globally. The talent and the structure have always been there. What we needed was access and opportunity. Now we have our own festivals, our music is being played on major radio stations and playlists, and African artists are signing major global deals. Once those opportunities opened up, there was no stopping us.
You’ve spoken about wanting your upcoming Lagos residency during Detty December to create a cultural moment similar to what Bad Bunny achieved with his shows in Puerto Rico. What does that vision look like for you, and what can fans expect?
First of all, people should expect an amazing show and an amazing three days. I can’t wait. It’s a very important residency for me, especially because the National Theatre is back open. The National Theatre in Lagos is almost like our Madison Square Garden. It was closed for many years, so having a venue like that available again is significant. I’m also excited because I think it can encourage more Nigerian artists to come back home and put on major shows. For a long time, one of the challenges was production. You want the fans in Lagos, Ghana or anywhere else in Africa to get the same level of experience they would get if you were performing in London or Minneapolis. That’s always been important to me: I want the production, the sound and the overall experience to be at the same level wherever I perform. I think this residency can show what’s possible and hopefully motivate more artists to come home and create these kinds of moments. There’s nothing as special as doing it at home. Nothing!
Your new video for “Already Falling” was filmed at Château de Chanteloup and features the limited edition. What was the experience of shooting there like, and how did the location inspire the visuals?
Cognac is such a beautiful place, so shout-out to Martell again. They always come through for me. I really wanted to capture the beauty of Cognac in the video because the song is about love, and the setting worked perfectly for that. It was my second time at Château de Chanteloup, and this time we were also able to feature the limited edition in the video, which I was really excited about. It was just a beautiful shoot. There was love, great fashion and an opportunity to bring elements of my culture into the visuals. Everything came together really well, so shout-out to everyone who worked on the project.
Speaking of recent music, you put out your sixth album this year, Oriadé. How’s it been sitting with audiences? Anything about the way audiences have responded?
It’s been amazing. I have one of the biggest songs in Africa right now with “B4 B4”, featuring Fola and Mayorkun, and I’m just grateful that God keeps blessing me with records that connect with people. This summer, we also had “Nakupenda” going crazy, and I came out to London for an incredible show. So everything has been going really well. The album has been really well received, and I think we’re already about to shoot the fourth or fifth video from it. One thing I really love about Oriadé is how African it feels. For me, this whole period has been about reconnecting with the culture through the music, the shows, the touring and everything around the album.
When you’re performing it live, are there any tracks that have really had a huge reaction that maybe you weren’t expecting?
“Already Falling” definitely surprised me because of how quickly people connected with it. Sometimes it can take a year or two for a song to really catch on with fans, but with this one, within a few weeks people were already singing every word back to me. Being on stage is one of the most important parts of what I do. I love being in the studio and creating the music but performing and seeing that connection with the audience is one of the things I love most.
With Afrobeats thriving the way it is, are there any younger, newer artists coming through that have really caught your eye that we should know about? Definitely. 11 is one. I’d also put Victony in there, and my artist Chase Romeo. There are so many talented artists coming through. Afrobeats is much broader than what people outside the continent sometimes see. In the States or the UK, there might be 10 or 20 names that everyone knows, but there are hundreds of talented artists across Africa working really hard and making great music.
Looking ahead to the rest of this year and into next year, what have you got coming upthat you’re most excited about?
Right now, the residency is the main thing I’m focused on. The album is still going strong, and we’re going to release a couple more videos. I think we’re doing “Yaya” with Aya Nakamura next, which has been doing really well in France and the UAE, so we’re excited about that. There’s definitely more music coming, more videos, and I’ll be going back on tour as well. I’m excited to see what 2027 has in store for us. I just want to tell all my fans how much I appreciate the support. This year marks 15 years for me in the industry, and I’m grateful to everybody who has supported us and worked with us from the beginning until now. That’s also part of why this residency means so much to me. We’re excited about the future, and I’ll see you guys soon.
