| Son of Mercy | ||||
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| Released | October 21, 2016 (2016-10-21) | |||
| Recorded | 2015–2016 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 18:00 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer |
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| Davido chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Son of Mercy | ||||
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Son of Mercy is the debut extended play by Nigerian singerDavido. It was released bySony Music on October 21, 2016. The EP comprises five tracks and was produced byShizzi,Kiddominant andSpellz. It features guest appearances fromNasty C,Simi andTinashe.Son of Mercy tackles themes of love and combines elements ofAfropop,trap,ragga,highlife andhouse.[1][2] It was supported by the singles "Gbagbe Oshi", "How Long" and "Coolest Kid in Africa".
Davido first announced plans to releaseSon of Mercy in September 2016, revealing its title and saying it would be released on October 21.[3] Davido recorded majority of the EP's songs in the United States.[4]Son of Mercy was produced byShizzi,Kiddominant andSpellz. It features collaborations withNasty C,Simi andTinashe.[5] In an interview withThe Native magazine, Davido criticizedSon of Mercy and said he did not select the songs that appeared on it.[6] The lead single, "Gbagbe Oshi" (Yoruba: "Kill the Drama" or "Leave the Matter"), was released on October 3, 2016.[7][8] The song was produced by Shizzi and released nearly 10 months after Davido signed a recording contract with RCA Records and Sony Music.[8] The accompanying music video for "Gbagbe Oshi" premiered on October 1, in honor of Nigeria's 56th annualIndependence Day.[8]
The Tinashe-assisted track "How Long" was released on October 13, 2016, as the second single.[4] The song fuses South African house music with Yoruba lyrics and R&B elements.[4] Davido toldVice he recorded "How Long" the previous year and agreed to put Tinashe on the record after being asked by a label executive to do so.[9] Sabo Kpade commended Davido and Tinashe's sound and said "How Long" was a "smooth ride of a song".[1] The video for "How Long", which was filmed inMalibu, features scenes of Davido arriving to the beach on a motorcycle and Tinashe on a white horse.[9] The Nasty C-assisted track "Coolest Kid in Africa" was released on November 18, 2016, as the third single.[4] The accompanying music video for the song was directed bySesan Ogunro.[10]
The Shizzi-produced track "Gbagbe Oshi" contains lyrics recorded inNigerian Pidgin,Yoruba andpatois.[2] From a production standpoint, the song is composed of a muscular beat with two significant drum breaks.[1] The contemporaryhighlife track "Maga 2 Mugu" features guest vocals by Simi; Chiagoziem of Filter Free Nigeria praised Simi for bringing "calm and sappiness to Davido's hyperactivity and directness".[2] The Spellz-produced track "How Long" contains elements ofAfropop and soulfulhouse music.[2] In theAfrobeats-infusedtrap song "Coolest Kid in Africa", Davido exchanges bars with rapper Nasty C and boasts about not knowing how to save money.[2][1] The highlife track "Return" focuses on themes of love and begins with an earnest admission about Davido's relationship with an unnamed woman.[1]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Filter Free Nigeria | 58/100[2] |
| Pulse Nigeria |    [4] |
Son of Mercy received generally mixed reviews frommusic critics. Chiagoziem of Filter Free Nigeria said listeners who see the EP as a "collection of strategically-placed songs" would appreciate it more than those who see Davido as "one of a few African artists that record labels are telling the world could become the future of music".[2] A writer forPulse Nigeria awardedSon of Mercy 3.5 stars out of 5, describing it as a balanced project that is "somewhere between experimental and familiar, but weirdly satisfying".[4]OkayAfrica's Sabo Kpade said Simi's voice on "Maga 2 Mugu" is void of "presence despite being pleasant", and criticized "Return" for lacking "a clean thematic consistency".[1]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Gbagbe Oshi" |
| Shizzi | 3:26 |
| 2. | "Maga 2 Mugu" (featuringSimi) |
| Kiddominant | 3:46 |
| 3. | "Coolest Kid in Africa" (featuringNasty C) |
| Kiddominant | 3:48 |
| 4. | "Return" |
| Shizzi | 3:05 |
| 5. | "How Long" (featuringTinashe) |
| Spellz | 4:09 |
| Total length: | 18:00 | |||
| Chart (2019) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US World Albums (Billboard)[11] | 4 |
| Region | Date | Format | Version | Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Various | October 21, 2016 | Digital download | Standard |
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