Nigerian music star Davido has unveiled plans for his sixth studio album, Oriadé, announcing that the highly anticipated project will arrive on 31 July 2026, exactly as he marks 15 years since breaking into the music industry.
The Afrobeats star revealed the news on Monday through an exclusive interview with Billboard, before confirming it on his social media pages with a cinematic teaser. In the post, he wrote: “ORIADÉ. 31st JULY. The kingdom expands. Chosen long before the throne. Pre-order my new album now.”
ORIADÉ 31st JULY.
The kingdom expands. Chosen long before the throne.
Pre-order my new album now. (Link in bio) pic.twitter.com/DfVLtbmYxA
— Davido (@davido) June 29, 2026
The teaser embraces a royal aesthetic, showing the 33-year-old singer dressed in an embroidered wine-and-black traditional outfit adorned with beads. Flanked by a throne and a crown, the depiction captures the album’s central themes of royalty, purpose, and destiny.
Derived from the Yoruba words “ori” (head or destiny) and “adé” (crown), Oriadé represents what Davido describes as a personal chapter in his career.
Reflecting on the journey that has taken him from a promising newcomer to one of Africa’s biggest music exports, the singer told Billboard, “Over fifteen years ago, I decided to trust something I couldn’t fully explain… I just knew music was my destiny. Oriadé is a celebration of the journey that led me to where I am now.”
He added, “To be in a position where I can help push African music forward around the world is something I’ll never take for granted. I hope when people hear my new album, they understand that purpose doesn’t always follow the expected path. The biggest blessings often come from betting on yourself, even when the destination isn’t in sight yet.”
Beyond its symbolic title, Davido says the album signals a creative homecoming. According to him, the forthcoming project embraces the authentic Afrobeats sound that first introduced him to audiences over a decade ago.
“The recent music I’ve been working on is really, really African. I’m taking it back to my original Davido kind of music,” he said.
The album comprises 13 songs, making it the shortest full-length project of his career. His previous studio albums Omo Baba Olowo (2012), A Good Time (2019), A Better Time (2020), Timeless (2023) and 5ive (2025), each contained 17 tracks.
Its release follows the arrival of lead single “I Know Who I Be,” which dropped on Friday and officially launched the album campaign.
Oriadé succeeds 5ive, an album that continued Davido’s impressive commercial run.
The project reached No. 2 on the Billboard World Albums chart, earned him a fifth consecutive top-five placement, and featured collaborations with Omah Lay, Chris Brown, Victoria Monét, Becky G, Shenseea and YG Marley. The Omah Lay collaboration “With You” also emerged as one of the defining Afrobeats records of 2025.
The announcement comes during another eventful year for the award-winning singer. In April, he made his Coachella debut with a 45-minute set that featured a surprise appearance by fellow Nigerian star Adekunle Gold.
He later joined Major Lazer and Nelly Furtado on “No Place Like Home,” the official soundtrack for the FIFA World Cup 2026, before performing the song at the tournament’s countdown concert in Los Angeles.
