Afrobeats singer Omah Lay has revealed that he once believed fellow superstar Davido did not like him, an assumption that later turned out to be wrong and unexpectedly paved the way for their Grammy-nominated collaboration, With You.
The singer made the revelation in a GRAMMY red carpet interview with OkayAfrica, shared by HYPETRIBE on Monday, where he reflected on the early misunderstanding that shaped his first impressions of the award-winning artist.
Omah Lay recounted how a chance moment while he was at home changed everything after he came across a clip showing Davido’s reaction to his music.
“I was in the house, really, and I was going through it when I saw it, and I lost my mind.
“It was the fact that I didn’t know Davido was like that. I thought we had a beef. I thought he didn’t like me,” he said.
He explained that the misunderstanding quickly dissolved once they connected, describing their eventual collaboration as effortless and organic.
“It was funny, and we connected so well after that. Boom—magic happened,” he added.
The connection culminated in ‘With You’, released in 2025, a collaboration with DMW boss, which marked a major milestone in Omah Lay’s career by earning him his first-ever Grammy nomination.
Asked about his expectations ahead of the awards, Omah Lay expressed confidence while also acknowledging the depth of Nigeria’s representation in the category.
“Me and Davido, of course,” he said when asked who he expects to win. “But Burna is there, Ayra is there, Wizkid is there. Any of us—I mean, we are repping Nigeria.” he said.
Despite the strong presence of Nigerian stars, the award in the category went to South Africa’s Tyla, who won Best African Music Performance for Push 2 Start, beating Davido and Omah Lay’s With You, Burna Boy’s Love, and Ayra Starr and Wizkid’s Gimme Dat.
This nomination, however, cements Omah Lay’s rising influence in Afrobeats and highlights Nigeria’s continued impact on the global music stage.
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