It’s the end of the year 2019, precisely November, and Davido makes the news. After a successful 7-year run in the industry, marked by a remarkable singles streak and global hits, one of Nigeria’s prominent artists releases his second studio album, A Good Time. The former Headies Next Rated was championing his way to veteran status, and the feel-good-inspired project was his opening statement—not in its title but in its arrival.

Despite his below-expectation Son of Mercy EP in 2016, the artist would make a sort of renaissance, returning to the audience and sonic palette that first broke him out. This would ignite hits like the Tekno-produced “If”, “Fall,” and ultimately chart the course for his sophomore album.

The 17-track project, A Good Time, would surface as his most cohesive work at the time and, more importantly, lay the foundation for the time series projects. 7 years later, Davido’s stance in the industry is as unshakeable as his discography, with global successes like Coachella 2026 to his name.

But this writer wonders if the 2019-released album still holds the same legacy in Davido’s catalogue and in broader Afrobeats conversation. To this end, BSide Mag. reached out to a select Nigerian music journalists to gather their reflections on Davido’s A Good Time album.

About seven years on, where does A Good Time sit in Davido’s discography, and does it hold up as a defining, cohesive classic? Or simply the peak of his hit-making era?

Dami Ajayi – Seasoned Music Journalist and Author, London Listening Sessions 

It is the first in a trilogy of records. The work is cohesive, as is the sound. Of all his peers, Davido’s body of work shows cohesion and incremental growth best. The fidelity to the theme of time, even though it started light in A Good Time, became weightier by the third instalment, Timeless. Ditto for the music, which was clearly obsessed with dance, leisure, and pleasure. Dance was a pleasure in A Good Time and A Better Time, but on Timeless, it was necessary escapism. I don’t think there is a standalone classic yet, but the time series are close to one.

Ayomide Tayo – Veteran Music Journalist and Author, Naija Way Substack

A Good Time is a pivotal record in Davido’s discography, marking his return to album-making after a seven-year gap. It captures him at his hit-making finest, an album engineered for impact, stacked with hit records. More than that, it sits at the intersection of two ambitions: consolidating his local dominance while extending the global momentum sparked by “If” and “Fall.” Davido comes from a school that understands the currency of hits, and A Good Time is built deliberately around that principle.

Abioye Damilare Samson – Music Journalist, Afrocritik:

I think it leans towards the latter. Davido was on an historic run before the album release. It is the clearest distillation of his hit-making logic at its most generous, but that generosity is also its weakness.

It gives you everything: Afropop, R&B, street vibes, love songs, party records, massive features, but there’s no through-line holding it together. You remember the magic he did on “If”, “Fall”, that grippy verse by Chris Brown on “Blow My Mind”, all of the moments, but not the album as a thing, and that distinction matters.

A classic makes you feel the body of work as a whole. A Good Time makes you reach for the highlights. So it’s not a classic. Davido doesn’t have one yet, in my opinion. But it will be remembered for those moments. If we’re ranking, though, it sits comfortably in the top tier, number 2 or 3 for me, with Timeless at 1, of course.

Melony Akpoghene – Music Journalist, The Native Mag:

I think A Good Time, as a body of work, is the most legible proof of Davido’s abilities – that he can not only create great music but also adapt to evolving sonic climates and secure his longevity in the industry.

I don’t think it holds up as a classic, nor do I see it as the peak of his hit-making era. But it is indeed an essential work for both its genre and Davido’s career. It very much felt its zeitgeist.

Abdulmuqsit Idowu – Managing Editor, Glitch Africa:

A Good Time sits in an interesting space within Davido’s catalogue. It remains arguably his most cohesive body of work outside of Timeless. At the time, it felt like a deliberate consolidation of his strengths: global ambition, pop instinct, and a sharp ear for collaboration.

It was also undeniably hit-heavy, but framing it as the peak of his hit-making era feels limiting in hindsight. I think Davido has continued to evolve commercially well beyond that phase, with records like “Unavailable” and most recently “With You” proving that his ability to craft hits didn’t plateau with A Good Time.

That said, while A Good Time holds up as a strong, well-executed project, it stops just short of being a classic. Its cohesion and impact are clear, but it doesn’t quite carry the cultural weight or timeless identity that typically cements an album in that tier.