Double Dare (Darey album)

Double Dare (Heartbeat) is the third studio album by Nigerian R&B and Afro-soul artist Darey. It was released on 28 February 2011 by Soul Muzik. The album is a double album, with the first disc, Heart focusing on mid-tempo highlife songs fused with R&B, and the second disc, Beat leaning towards up-tempo electronic dance tracks and pop music.^[1] Heart has no features, while Beat features guest appearances from Timaya, Mo'Cheddah, Chamillionaire, 9ice, P-Square, Jesse Jagz and Password with production work handled by notable producers such as Del B, eLDee, Wayne McNeish, Don Jazzy, Password and Cobhams Asuquo.^[2]

The album's lead single, "Stroke Me", was released on 7 December 2009 and produced by Don Jazzy and co-produced by Del B and Password.^[3] "Don't Let Me Know" and "The Way You Are", were released simultaneously on 21 October 2010 as singles off the album, and were produced by Darey and Cobhams Asuquo.^[4] "Sisi Eko" and "Ba Ni Kidi", were also released simultaneously on 9 December 2010 as singles off the album and produced by Cobhams Asuquo and Darey.^[5] The seventh single is the remix of "The Way You Are" and features American rapper Chamillionaire. The remix was released on 19 June 2011 in the United Kingdom and produced by Cobhams Asuquo, Del B, and Darey.^[6]

An writer for 360nobs known as "Jazz" described Double Dare as a showcase of Darey’s versatility and mastery, balancing soulful ballads on Heart with dance tracks on Beat. The review highlighted his vocal ability and songwriting, praising standout tracks like “Pillow,” “Ba Ni Kidi,” and “Close,” and noted that the album caters to diverse audiences. Rating the project 7.8/10, Jazz concluded, “Darey is without a doubt the ‘King of Nigerian R&B,’” and recommended owning both volumes to fully appreciate his artistry.^[7]

Ayomide Tayo in his review for Nigerian Entertainment Today praised Double Dare for its creativity and versatility, calling it a bold release that "proves that he is the true King of R&B". He highlighted the dual nature of the album, describing Heart as "an astounding collection of songs that move at an even pace" and Beat as delivering "dope pop and dance tracks" with Darey adapting seamlessly to diverse styles and collaborations.^[8] Taynement of Jaguda felt Double Dare showed ambition with its two-part concept but ultimately lacked cohesion and a clear musical identity, especially on the Beat disc. While the Heart disc offered a slightly more consistent listening experience, she concluded, “It’s like ‘filler music’ where at the moment you enjoy it but you get tired of it quickly,” and gave the album a 6/10.^[9]

• Dare Art Alade – vocals, writing, production, executive production
• Inetimi Timaya Odon – vocals, writing
• Abolore Adegbola Akande – vocals, writing
• Modupe-Oreoluwa Oyeyemi Ola - vocals, writing
• Patrick Mathias – vocals, writing
• Jesse Garba Abaga - vocals, writing
• Paul and Peter Okoye - vocals, writing
• Hakeem Temidayo Seriki - vocals, writing
• Keno Kenneth - writing
• Olanrewaju "eLDee" Dabiri - writing, production
• Cobhams Asuquo – production, writing
• Michael "Don Jazzy" Ajereh - production
• Ayodele Joseph Basil - production
• Tobi Akinbiyi - mixing mastering
• Wayne McNeish - production, mixing
• Osiki Escoffery Ojo - mixing
• TY Bello - photography
• Segun Fasika - graphics
• Deola Art Alade - graphics, executive production, A&R