Nigerian musician Davido has revealed that consoling messages from fans and followers helped him get back on his feet following the death of his son, Ifeanyi, in 2022.

Speaking in an interview on CNN, the ‘Fia’ hitmaker said that after his son died he had stayed away from social media for weeks, consumed by his grief and unable to interact on any of the platforms.

He stated that when he finally opened his Instagram account weeks after Ifeanyi’s death, his inbox was flooded with some of the kindest messages he has ever read.

“I was like ‘you’re fine, you see everybody is rooting for you.’ That was one thing that really made me strong enough to stand up again, get back in the studio and do what I love.”

“Before my son passed, we had finished the album. But it was a tragic situation and I really had to calm myself down and take a step back. Nobody would want that and everybody knows that I and Chioma didn’t deserve that.”

Davido told CNN that when he got back into the studio he scrapped his old album and reworked it to create a new one, reflecting his emotion and mood at the time.

After being on a hiatus for months, Davido returned with Timeless, his new album.

The album was released on Friday, March 31. The 17-track album called “Timeless” is Davido’s fourth studio project.

The title, he says, is a manifestation of his goal for the album to remain a classic for decades. “I know in years to come, if you interview me, we are still going to be talking about this album,” he told CNN’s Larry Madowo in Lagos, Nigeria.

“Timeless” features multiple artists including British Nigerian rapper Skepta, Grammy award-winning singer-songwriter Angélique Kidjo and Jamaican performer Dexta Daps.

The album explores multiple sub-genres of music including Afrobeats, Amapiano and Dancehall. According to Davido, the mix of sounds was to ensure that anyone who listens has a song that suits their tastes.

“Every time I play the album for somebody, there’s two, three tracks they like personally that they can take home with (them). And I feel like that’s how an album should be,” he explained.