Six Years Later, “FEM” Remains Davido’s Only Solo No. 1
Davido’s last solo No. 1 entry on the Official Nigeria Top 100 was “FEM” in 2020. It was also his first. Six years later, it remains the only song in his career to reach that height without another artiste beside him. That is an unusual distinction for an artiste whose chart history is otherwise filled with No. 1s.
Since “FEM,” every other Davido-led No. 1 has been a collaboration, from “Holy Ground” with Nicki Minaj and “The Best” with Mayorkun to “FOR YOU” with Teni, “Baddest Boy (Remix)” with Skiibii, “NO COMPETITION” with Asake, “Twe Twe” with Kizz Daniel, “Ogechi” with Brown Joel, Hyce and BoyPee, “Awuke” with YG Marley, “Funds” with ODUMODUBLVCK and Chike, and “With You” with Omah Lay. The pattern has continued into 2026, with “I Know Who I Be” featuring GL_Ceejay and JAZZWRLD and, most recently, “B4 B4” with Mayorkun and FOLA also debuting at No. 1 on the Official Singles Chart.
However, Davido plays a huge role in achieving these, because most of the singles have him as a lead artiste. Likewise, assisting other artistes in achieving milestones in their careers. For example, Nicki Minaj, Mayorkun, Teni, Skiibii, Boypee, Hyce, Brown Joel, YG Marley, JAZZWRLD, and GL_Ceejay got their first No. 1 entry in Nigeria due to their presence on his songs.
“FEM” accumulated 30.4 million streams and is certified Platinum, but several of Davido’s collaborative No. 1s have gone considerably further. “Twe Twe” has 77.84 million streams and is 5× Platinum, while “With You” has reached 80 million streams with a 5× Platinum certification. “Ogechi” follows suit with 67.5 million streams and 4× Platinum, while “Funds” has 58 million streams and is certified 3× Platinum.
Even before the Official Singles Chart began tracking Nigerian music, collaborations had always helped steer the direction and determine the reach of Davido’s albums. His sophomore album, ‘A Good Time,’ is a clear example, with “Blow My Mind” featuring Chris Brown becoming one of its major records. Even earlier, on his debut EP, ‘Son of Mercy,’ he featured Nasty C on “Coolest Kid in Africa”, showing that his instinct to build projects around collaborations has always been part of his approach.
The numbers make the pattern even harder to ignore, yet there is little in Davido’s chart history to suggest that the absence of another solo No. 1 represents a commercial decline. If anything, his albums tell an entirely different story. His three most recent projects—’TIMELESS’, ‘5IVE’, and ‘Oriadé’—have all reached No. 1 on the Official Top 100 Albums chart. His sixth studio album, ‘Oriadé,’ became his third consecutive No. 1 album when it debuted with approximately 18,200 album units sold, equivalent to 27.37 million on-demand streams.
The contrast is striking: Davido continues to take entire albums to No. 1, while his most successful singles are increasingly found through collaborations. There could be several reasons for this, but the numbers do not suggest that Davido has lost his ability to deliver a No. 1 single. They suggest that music collaborations have simply become one of his most reliable routes to the top. And with “B4 B4” giving him his 13th No. 1 single overall, the evidence is only getting stronger.
That makes “Already Falling” particularly interesting. The solo Davido performance from ‘Oriadé’ debuted at No. 9 on the Official Nigeria Top 100 chart with 2.40 million on-demand streams, (No. 5 on streaming), and 23.4 million radio impressions (No. 29 on radio). It also became his 42nd Top 10 entry on the chart. A No. 9 debut is still a long way from No. 1, and it would be premature to call it the song that finally turns things around. But its starting point makes the possibility worth watching.
For an artiste with a career as long as Davido's, six years is a long time to have only one solo No. 1. The next solo No. 1, whenever it comes, will therefore not simply add another entry to Davido's chart history, it’ll break a known pattern.
