Not Every Song Needs a Davido Remix: FOLA and Ayra Starr’s “Treat U Right” Was Fine, Please Leave It Alone

I need to say something before the group chat gets there first. I love Davido. His music has carried me through breakups, Mondays, and one very unfortunate fuel queue. But I have to say what many people are afraid to say: the “Treat U Right” remix with Davido is not necessary. It's not public yet, but it's in the works. My source is tight!

I’m saying this with love, and with the energy of a man who has watched this movie many times.

Let us start with the song. “Treat U Right”, by FOLA and Ayra Starr, was already complete. It had a mood, a vibe, a message. Two voices that fit each other like a key and a lock. When Ayra Starr comes in, you can feel the song relax. Nothing was missing. Nobody listened to it and said, “This is nice, but it needs a third person.” Nobody. If you did, please come and explain to the rest of us.

And yet, somewhere in a studio, someone said: “Let us add a big name.” This is the Nigerian music remix formula: Step one, a good song becomes popular. Step two, a bigger artist hears the song. Step three, the bigger artist says, “Send me the stems.” Step four, a remix is announced with a poster. Step five, the original singers are on the poster too, but in smaller letters, like children at a wedding.

I want to be fair. A remix can be great. Sometimes a verse changes the whole song, and the new version becomes the one everybody plays. But that is the exception. For every good remix, there are ten that are just “the same song, with one more man shouting at the end”. A remix should bring something new: a new angle, a new story, a new mood. If it only brings a famous name, that is not a remix. That is a visiting card.

And Davido does not need to be on everything. This is not an attack. It is a gentle request. The man is already on FOLA’s album. He is on “2am In Toronto” on the same project. So he has his place. The album gave him a seat, he sat on it, and he sounded good. Do we really need to give him a second seat, in a song that was doing well on its own?

We have a habit in this country. When a song starts to grow, everybody wants a piece. Producers, friends, rivals, cousins. You hear the phrase “Let me jump on it” more often than “Let me write something new.” Part of me wonders what would happen if one big artist simply said, “That song is perfect. I will not touch it.” That man would be remembered forever. He would be a legend, like the one person in the family who refuses to borrow money.

So here is my humble opinion. Let “Treat U Right” breathe. Let FOLA and Ayra Starr have their moment. Not every song needs a remix, and not every remix needs the biggest name in the room.

If you disagree, fine. Drop your comment. I will be the first to listen to the remix, and the first to complain about it.