Grammy-nominated singer, David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, has explained how his collaboration with fellow artiste, Stanley Omah Didia, also known as Omah Lay, came about.
He revealed that the song With You was born out of a misunderstanding on social media.
The singer spoke about the collaboration while recounting events that happened during a visit by American streamer Kai Cenat to Lagos, which later led to his first interaction with Omah Lay.
According to Davido, the issue started after he played one of Omah Lay’s songs during a livestream with Kai Cenat while heading to a club in Lagos.
He said the situation later took an unexpected turn when Omah Lay reacted on social media the next day.
“How Omah Lay and I got together was, Kai Cenat came to Nigeria and I was driving him to the club, and then Omah Lay’s song comes up, and he was like, ‘Who is this?’ I responded, ‘Oh! This is Omah Lay, he is hot.’ And then the next day, Omah Lay tweeted like, ‘Wow! Davido gave me a shoutout on a livestream, I thought he hated me.’ And I DMed him, ‘Why would you think I hate you? We’ve never met,’” Davido said.
The exchange opened the door for further conversations between both artistes. Davido said they later exchanged phone numbers and began working together in the studio.
The DMW boss explained that they recorded several songs during their sessions, but eventually agreed that With You stood out as the strongest record to release.
The song was later included on Davido’s fifth studio album, 5ive, which was released in April. Since its release, With You has enjoyed wide acceptance among music lovers both in Nigeria and abroad.
The track topped the TurnTable Top 100 chart and also performed strongly on several international charts. Spotify later named it the most shared Nigerian song of 2025, further underlining its popularity.
Beyond commercial success, With You has also earned critical recognition. The track received a nomination for Best African Music Performance at the 2026 Grammy Awards, placing Davido and Omah Lay among the continent’s leading voices on the global stage.
The song has continued to enjoy strong reception at major live events, including his Nigerian-leg for the 5ive tour, where it formed part of every night.
Highlife legend, Bright Chimezie, also praised the song for its creative nod to his classic work. The veteran musician said he enjoyed how the record paid respect to his influence, describing it as a thoughtful blend of old and new Nigerian sounds.
