Son of Mercy

Son of Mercy is the debut EP by Nigerian singer Davido. It was released by Sony Music Entertainment on October 21, 2016.[1] The EP comprises five tracks and was produced by Shizzi, Kiddominant and Spellz. It features guest appearances from Nasty C, Simi and Tinashe. Son of Mercy tackles themes of love and combines elements of Afropop, trap, ragga, highlife and house.[2][3] It was supported by the singles "Gbagbe Oshi", "How Long" and "Coolest Kid in Africa".

Son of Mercy
EP by
Davido
ReleasedOctober 21, 2016 (2016-10-21)
Recorded2015–2016
Genre
Length18:00
Label
  • Sony
  • DMW
Producer
Davido chronology
Omo Baba Olowo
(2012)		 Son of Mercy
(2016)		 A Good Time
(2019)
Singles from Son of Mercy
  1. "Gbagbe Oshi"
    Released: October 3, 2016
  2. "How Long"
    Released: October 13, 2016
  3. "Coolest Kid in Africa"
    Released: November 18, 2016

Background

Davido first announced plans to release Son of Mercy in September 2016; he revealed its title and said it would be released on October 21.[4] Davido recorded majority of the EP's songs in the United States.[5] Son of Mercy was produced by Shizzi, Kiddominant and Spellz. It features collaboration with guest artists such as Nasty C, Simi and Tinashe.[6] In an interview with Native magazine, Davido criticized Son of Mercy and said he did not select the songs that appeared on it.[7]

Composition

The Shizzi-produced track "Gbagbe Oshi" contains lyrics recorded in pidgin, Yoruba and patois;[3] it has a muscular beat with two significant drum breaks.[2] The contemporary highlife 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".[3] The Spellz-produced track "How Long" contains elements of Afropop and soulful house music.[3] In the Afrobeats-infused trap song "Coolest Kid in Africa", Davido exchanges bars with South African rapper Nasty C and brags about how saving money isn't part of his vocabulary.[3][2] The highlife track "Return" focuses on themes of love and begins with an earnest admission about Davido's relationship with an unnamed woman.[2]

Singles

The EP's lead single "Gbagbe Oshi" (Yoruba: "kill the drama" or "leave the matter") was released on October 3, 2016.[8][9] The song was produced by Shizzi and released nearly 10 months after Davido signed with RCA Records/Sony Music International.[9] The accompanying music video for "Gbagbe Oshi" premiered on October 1, in honor of Nigeria's 56th annual Independence Day.[9]

The Tinashe-assisted track "How Long" was released on October 13, 2016, as the EP's second single.[5] The song fuses South African house music with Yoruba lyrics and R&B elements.[5] Davido told Vice he recorded "How Long" a year ago and agreed to put Tinashe on the record after being asked by a label executive to do so.[10] Sabo Kpade commended Davido and Tinashe's sound and said "How Long" was a "smooth ride of a song".[2] The visuals for "How Long" was shot in Malibu; in it, Davido arrives to the beach on a motorcycle and Tinashe on a white horse.[10]

The Nasty C-assisted track "Coolest Kid in Africa" was released on November 18, 2016, as the EP's third single.[5] The accompanying music video for the song was shot and directed by Sesan Ogunro.[11]

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Filter Free Nigeria58/100[3]
Pulse Nigeria[5]

Son of Mercy received generally mixed reviews from music 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".[3] A writer for Pulse Nigeria awarded the EP 3.5 stars out of 5, describing it as a balanced project that is "somewhere between experimental and familiar, but weirdly satisfying".[5] Sabo Kpade of OkayAfrica said Simi's voice on "Maga 2 Mugu" lacks presence despite being pleasant.[2] Kpade criticized "Return" for lacking "a clean thematic consistency".[2]

Track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Gbagbe Oshi"
  • David Adeleke
Shizzi3:26
2."Maga 2 Mugu" (featuring Simi)
  • Adeleke
  • Simisola Ogunleye
Kiddominant3:46
3."Coolest Kid in Africa" (featuring Nasty C)
  • Adeleke
  • Nsikayesizwe Ngcobo
Kiddominant3:48
4."Return"
  • Adeleke
Shizzi3:05
5."How Long" (featuring Tinashe)
  • Adeleke
  • Tinashe Kachingwe
Spellz4:09
Total length:18:00

Charts
Chart (2019) Peak
position
scope="row"US World Albums (Billboard)[12] 4

Release history
Region Date Format Version Label
Various October 21, 2016 Digital download Standard
  • Sony Music Entertainment
  • Davido Music Worldwide
gollark: Yep!
gollark: ~~brainf\*\*\* with weird numbers~~
gollark: Stick it in the license.
gollark: ***evil***
gollark: We must kill all undefined.

References
  1. "Son of Mercy - EP". Apple Music. October 21, 2016. Archived from the original on 22 June 2019. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
  2. Sabo Kpade (October 19, 2016). "It's Pop, Not Afro-Pop: On the Impact of Davido's 'Son of Mercy'". OkayAfrica. Archived from the original on 1 March 2019. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  3. Chiagoziem (October 18, 2016). "Davido – Son of Mercy (EP Review)". Filter Free Nigeria. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  4. Luke McCormick (September 30, 2016). "Davido Announces New EP Son Of Mercy, Shares "Gbagbe Oshi"". The Fader. Archived from the original on 4 June 2019. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
  5. "Davido learns to manage his blessings "Son Of Mercy" EP". Pulse Nigeria. October 17, 2016. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  6. Erin C.J Robertson (September 28, 2016). "Stream Davido's New Single 'Gbagbe Oshi' and Pre-Order 'Son of Mercy' EP". OkayAfrica. Archived from the original on 24 July 2019. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
  7. Oluseyi Awojulugbe (May 11, 2018). "Davido trashes Son of Mercy EP, says 'I had to stop making the music Sony wanted". The Cable Lifestyle. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  8. "Gbagbe Oshi by Davido". Apple Music. 3 October 2016. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  9. Christine Imarenezor (September 30, 2016). "Davido Picks Up Where He Left Off With "Gbagbe Oshi"". Vibe. Archived from the original on 6 November 2016. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  10. Lawrence Burney (October 13, 2016). "PREMIERE: Davido and Tinashe Have a Date on the Beach in His New Video, "How Long"". Vice. Archived from the original on 15 December 2019. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  11. Lawrence Burney (November 18, 2016). "Watch Davido and Nasty C Live it Up in "Coolest Kid in Africa"". Vice. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  12. "Davido Chart History (World Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved March 8, 2020.
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