Davido announces sixth album Oriadé, sets July 31 for release

Nigerian Afrobeats star Davido has announced that his sixth studio album, Oriadé, will be released on July 31, 2026, marking 15 years since he began his music career.

The singer revealed the release date during an interview with Billboard before confirming the announcement on his social media platforms with a cinematic teaser. Alongside the video, he wrote: “ORIADÉ. 31st JULY. The kingdom expands. Chosen long before the throne. Pre-order my new album now.”

The teaser adopts a royal theme, showing the 33-year-old dressed in a richly embroidered traditional outfit, complete with beads, a throne and a crown, reflecting the album’s themes of royalty, destiny and purpose.

Derived from the Yoruba words ori (head or destiny) and adé (crown), Oriadé represents what Davido describes as a deeply personal chapter in his career.

Reflecting on his journey, the singer said he always believed music was his destiny and described the album as a celebration of the path that has taken him from an emerging artiste to one of Africa’s biggest music stars.

He added that he remains grateful for the opportunity to promote African music globally and hopes the project inspires listeners to trust their purpose, even when the future is uncertain.

Davido also revealed that Oriadé marks a return to the authentic Afrobeats sound that first established his career.

“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 13-track album will be the shortest studio project of his career, following his previous albums, Omo Baba Olowo (2012), A Good Time (2019), A Better Time (2020), Timeless (2023) and 5ive (2025), all of which featured 17 tracks.

The announcement comes days after the release of the lead single, I Know Who I Be, which officially launched the album campaign.

Oriadé follows the success of 5ive, which reached No. 2 on the Billboard World Albums chart and featured collaborations with artistes including Omah Lay, Chris Brown, Victoria Monét, Becky G, Shenseea and YG Marley. Its hit collaboration with Omah Lay, With You, became one of the standout Afrobeats songs of 2025.

Davido has also enjoyed a busy 2026, making his debut at Coachella in April, where he was joined on stage by Adekunle Gold. He later teamed up with Major Lazer and Nelly Furtado on No Place Like Home, the official soundtrack for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and performed the song at the tournament’s countdown concert in Los Angeles.