Davido takes “ORIADÉ” into its final stretch with “Zanzibar,” the eleventh track – a solo record that arrives just as the album begins its emotional wind-down.
The name carries instant East African imagery. Zanzibar as a concept sits between escape, romance, and cultural pride – the kind of destination that means something different depending on who is saying it. So the title alone gives the song a particular warmth before a single note plays.
Coming right after “Yaya” with Aya Nakamura – the album’s most internationally ambitious collaboration – “Zanzibar” pulls the record back inward. It is just Davido again, no feature, no cross-continental bridge to build. But the record does not feel like a step down in energy. Instead, it feels like a deliberate exhale after the high of that collaboration, giving the listener space to settle before the final three tracks close the project out.
Davido’s solo records on ORIADÉ consistently handle the album’s more personal and reflective moments. So “Zanzibar” fits that pattern. The production keeps things warm and melodic – the kind of arrangement that rewards repeat listening rather than demanding your attention on first play.
It also sits as an interesting contrast within the tracklist. The album opens its international collaborations mid-project and then begins pulling back toward intimacy in its final act. “Zanzibar” sits at the beginning of that withdrawal – the moment where the show starts becoming a conversation.
For an album about crowned destiny and fulfilled purpose, a record called “Zanzibar” suggests the journey itself is worth celebrating, not just the arrival.
Stream “Zanzibar” and tell us if this solo cut deserves more attention than it is getting – drop your thoughts below!
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