-
Davido Shares Untold Story Behind ‘With You’—And Omah Lay Was the Game-Changer
Afrobeats superstar Davido has peeled back the curtain on a pivotal creative moment behind his Grammy-nominated hit With You, and at the center of the story is fellow singer Omah Lay, whose honest critique changed the song just days before its release.
Speaking at a recent public event, Davido recounted the moment with a mix of excitement and disbelief. A viral clip from the event shows him laughing as he remembers how, barely 48 hours before the track dropped, he scrapped a portion of his verse and rewrote it from scratch.
According to Davido, the switch still makes his heart “beat fast” whenever he thinks about it. But he calls that final version nothing short of “legendary.”
The turning point, he revealed, came from Omah Lay, who wasn’t shy about telling him that the original eight bars sounded a bit too calculated—as Davido put it, “like I was trying to be cool.” Omah Lay encouraged him to loosen up and deliver the raw, unmistakable Davido style that fans have come to love.
After thinking it over, Davido agreed. He went back into the booth, rewrote the section, and the rest became history. The reworked verse is now one of the most celebrated parts of With You.
Davido added that he had a lineup of other songs ready at the time, but it was Omah Lay’s honest, unfiltered push that unlocked the song’s full potential.
His revelation shines a light on the quiet but powerful role collaboration plays behind the scenes in Afrobeats, proof that even the biggest stars grow when they have trusted peers willing to challenge them and elevate their craft.
🚨Davido talks about how Omah Lay encouraged him to change his verse on “With You” 2 days before release 🤯pic.twitter.com/JqeDR2kPXQ
— 𝗔𝗟𝗕𝗨𝗠 𝗧𝗔𝗟𝗞𝗦 📀 (@AlbumTalksHQ) December 2, 2025