Deborah Oluwaseyi Joshua (born Oluwaseyi Joshua; 21 December 1985), known professionally as Seyi Shay (pronounced Shay-yee Shay), is a Nigerian singer, songwriter and actress. In 2008, she became the lead singer for the now defunct pop

girl group A girl group is a music act featuring two or more women in music, female singers who generally vocal harmony, harmonize together. The term "girl group" is also used in a narrower sense in the United States to denote the wave of American female p ...

From Above. The group signed a recording deal with

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American reco ...

and was managed by

Mathew Knowles Mathew Knowles (born January 9, 1952)Knowles in is an American record executive, businessman and university lecturer. He is best known for being the manager of Destiny's Child. He also once managed the solo careers of his daughters Beyoncé a ...

' Music World Entertainment company. In November 2013, Shay signed an endorsement deal with telecommunications service provider

Etisalat e&, formerly branded as Etisalat, is an Emirati state-owned telecommunications company. It is the 16th largest in the world by subscribers. On 31 December 2021, Etisalat reported consolidated revenue of AED 53.3 billion and net profits of AED ...

. In July 2015, she inked a recording contract with

Island Records Island Records is a multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded in Jamaica by Chris Blackwell, Graeme Goodall, and Leslie Kong in 1959, and was eventually sold to PolyGram in 1989. Island and A&M Records, another ...

, and signed a two-year endorsement deal with

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that same year. In November 2015, Shay released her debut studio album '' Seyi or Shay'', which was supported by the singles "Irawo", "Ragga Ragga", "Right Now" and "Murda" (featuring

Patoranking Patrick Nnaemeka Okorie (born 27 May 1990), better known by his stage name Patoranking, is a Nigerian Afrobeats and reggae-dancehall singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Ebute Metta community of Lagos, he grew up sharing one room with his ...

and Shaydee). In January 2021, Shay signed a publishing deal with the French division of

Universal Music Publishing Group Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG) is a global music publishing company and is part of the Universal Music Group. Universal Music Publishing has been ranked the #1 music publisher in market share by Billboard for multiple consecutive quart ...

Life and career

1985–2010: Early life, career beginnings, songwriting, and record deal with Flytime

Oluwaseyi Joshua was born and raised in

Tottenham Tottenham (, , , ) is a district in north London, England, within the London Borough of Haringey. It is located in the Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of Greater London. Tottenham is centred north-northeast of Charing Cross, ...

, England, to Nigerian parents. Her deceased mother was a chorister and her father is a native of Ife. Shay has an elder sister and two older brothers; her sister composed songs for the BBC and one of her brothers was a prominent club and radio disc jockey. She and her siblings were raised by their single mother. Shay grew up in a Christian home and often felt like a loner during her adolescence. She started visiting Nigeria when she was two years old and eventually attended the Command High School in Maryland, Lagos. She returned to London and performed with the

London Community Gospel Choir The London Community Gospel Choir is Britain's first renowned contemporary "performance touring, inspirational gospel choir band", fusing gospel with multi-genres of music, including pop, soul, jazz, R&B, and classical. It was founded in 198 ...

during their world tour, which included 13 cities in Japan. She studied music business management at the

University of East London University of East London (UEL) is a public university located in the London Borough of Newham, London, England, based at three campuses in Stratford, London, Stratford and London Docklands, Docklands, following the opening of University Squar ...

and graduated with a bachelor's degree with honours. In an interview with ''

This Day ''This Day'' is a Nigerian national newspaper. It is the flagship newspaper of Leaders & Company Ltd., and was first published on 22 January 1995. It has its headquarters in Apapa, Lagos State. Founded by Nduka Obaigbena, the chairman and edit ...

''s Lanre Odukoya, Shay said her mother wanted her to become a doctor or lawyer and wasn't a staunch supporter of her musical ambitions. Her mother eventually told her to focus on her music career and put God first. Shay's music career took an upswing when she signed her first ever record deal with No Apologies, a record company affiliated with

George Martin Sir George Henry Martin (3 January 1926 – 8 March 2016) was an English record producer, arranger, composer, conductor, and musician. He was commonly referred to as the "fifth Beatle" because of his extensive involvement in each of the Beatle ...

, who was commonly referred to as the "

fifth Beatle The fifth Beatle is an informal title that has been applied to people who were at one point a member of the Beatles or who had a strong association with John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. The term originated in 196 ...

". In 2006, Shay formed a girl band in the UK called Boadicea; they were managed by Ron Tom, the founder and manager of All Saints and

Sugababes The Sugababes are an English girl group composed of Mutya Buena, Keisha Buchanan, and Siobhán Donaghy. The lineup changed three times before returning to the original lineup in 2011. Formed in 1998 by Ron Tom, the manager of All Saints, ...

. The band separated after two years, and Shay decided to audition for the From Above singing audition. She was chosen as the lead vocalist for the female group From Above after the audition. The group signed a record deal with Mathew Knowles' management company after performing for him, and were taken to Houston to undergo energetic vocal and dance trainings. They supported

Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman. With a career spanning over three decades, she has established herself as one of the most Cultural impact of Beyoncé, ...

while she was in the United Kingdom for her I Am... World Tour. From Above presented the Best New Act award to

Bruno Mars Peter Gene Hernandez (born October 8, 1985), known professionally as Bruno Mars, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. Regarded as a pop icon, he is known for his three-octave tenor vocal range, live performances, R ...

at the 2011 MTV Europe Music Awards and had their own reality show called ''Breaking From Above'', which aired in over 166 countries around the world. The group later disbanded and Shay had an opportunity to continue her management deal with Mathew Knowles, as well as secure a recording contract with Sony. Shay has worked with a number of musicians, including

Justin Timberlake Justin Randall Timberlake (born January 31, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actor, record producer, and dancer. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Prince of Pop", ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' honored him as the b ...

, Brian Michael Cox, Darey,

Bilal __NOTOC__ Bilal may refer to: People * Bilal (name), or Belal or Bilel, including a list of people with the name * Bilal ibn Rabah, a companion of Muhammad, made calls for prayers * Bilal (American singer) * Bilal (Lebanese singer) Places * Bi ...

Michelle Williams Michelle Williams or Michele Williams may refer to: * Michelle Ann Williams (born circa 1965), American public health scholar * Michelle Williams (singer) (born 1979), American singer, previously a member of Destiny's Child * Michelle Williams (actr ...

, Chip, Rob Knoxx,

Harmony Samuels Harmony Olakunle David Samuels (born 16 May 1980), also known as H-Money, is an English record producer, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter. He has produced a multitude of hits for artists such as Brandy, Jennifer Lopez, Mary J. Blige, Ariana ...

, and Cameron Wallace. Shay wrote and produced three songs for the soundtrack to

Konami , commonly known as Konami, , is a Japanese multinational entertainment company and video game developer and video game publisher, publisher headquartered in Chūō, Tokyo, Chūō, Tokyo. The company also produces and distributes trading card ...

's video game '' Crime Life: Gang Wars'' (2005). She also wrote "You Will See", a song that was included on

Melanie C Melanie Jayne Chisholm (born 12 January 1974), commonly known as Melanie C or Mel C, is an English singer and songwriter. She rose to fame in the mid-1990s as a member of the pop group the Spice Girls, in which she was nicknamed Sporty Spice. W ...

's third studio album '' Beautiful Intentions'' (2005). Moreover, she wrote "White Lies", a song from Chip's album ''Transition'' (2011). Shay was introduced to Sound Sultan during his visit to London in 2011. After listening to some of her demos, Sultan convinced her to relocate to Nigeria and pursue a music career there. Shay was also introduced to Cecil Hammond, who signed her to his record label, Flytime Music, and launched her solo career in Nigeria. In 2013, Shay left Flytime Music and told ''

Vanguard The vanguard (sometimes abbreviated to van and also called the advance guard) is the leading part of an advancing military formation. It has a number of functions, including seeking out the enemy and securing ground in advance of the main force. ...

'' that she joined the label to promote her brand and still has a good relationship with people at the label. She also said that while signed to the label, she was very much in control of her brand.

2011–2019: ''Seyi or Shay'', ''Electric Package'', notable performances, and concert residency

On 11 August 2011, Shay released "Loving Your Way" and "No Le Le", two promotional singles that helped launch her music career in Nigeria. In 2012, she started recording her debut studio album, '' Seyi or Shay'', and worked with producers such as Jay Sleek, Tee-Y Mix, Del B and Cobhams Asuquo. On 27 July 2012, Shay released the album's lead single "Irawo", which was produced by Del B and originally titled "Erawo". Shay said she wrote "Irawo" to inspire her colleagues and workmates to pull together. The song's music video was directed by Clarence Peters and uploaded to YouTube on 3 June 2013, at a total length of 3 minutes and 47 seconds. The remix of "Irawo" includes a rap verse by

Vector Vector most often refers to: * Euclidean vector, a quantity with a magnitude and a direction * Disease vector, an agent that carries and transmits an infectious pathogen into another living organism Vector may also refer to: Mathematics a ...

and was released on 6 December 2012. Shay performed at the 2013 COSON Song Awards. In May 2013, she told Odukoya that she recorded a song with

Olamide Olamide Gbenga Adedeji (born 15 March 1989) is a Nigerian rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. He is regarded as one of the most influential artists in Nigeria and Africa and has been crucial to the creative and commercial succe ...

; the track was written by the rapper and scheduled for release in 2014. Shay claimed that Olamide's work ethic made working with him simple. Shay has been featured on songs released by several artists, including Praiz, Mr. Walz, Yung Grey C, and Amir. In July 2013, she performed at one of Big Brother Africa 8's live eviction shows. Shay played at the 2013 edition of Star Music Trek in Asaba on 20 July 2013. In August 2013, she released the album's second single "Killin' Me Softly", which features vocals by

Timaya Inetimi Alfred Odon (born 15 August 1980), known by his stage name Timaya, is a Nigerian singer-songwriter. Being from Odi, Bayelsa State, Nigeria, Timaya is known for combining Nigerian pop with elements of dancehall, hip-hop, and Soca music, s ...

and was written and produced by Del B. In an interview with ''Vanguard''s Kehinde Ajose, Shay said she felt in love with the song when she first heard it and reached out to Timaya for a verse because she wanted a different vibe on the song. On 27 September 2013, Shay performed at the Sisters with Soul concert, which was headlined by

Mary J. Blige Mary Jane Blige ( ; born January 11, 1971) is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, actress, and entrepreneur. Often referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Hip-Hop Soul" and "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Qu ...

. On 6 October 2013, she released "Ragga Ragga" and "Chairman" as the album's third and fourth singles, respectively. Both songs were produced by Del B. The latter track features vocals by

Kcee KCEE is a commercial radio station located in Tucson, Arizona, broadcasting on 690 AM. KCEE airs a Christian format and is owned by Calvary Chapel of Tucson, Inc. By day, KCEE is powered at 250 watts; as 690 AM is a clear channel frequency ...

, who was present during the song's composition. Prior to releasing the two singles, Shay signed a partnership deal with the talent company J-Management. On 20 November 2013, she and Wale performed "

Bad Bad or BAD may refer to: Common meanings *Evil, the opposite of moral good * Erroneous, inaccurate or incorrect * Unhealthy, or counter to well-being *Antagonist, the threat or obstacle of moral good Acronyms * BAD-2, a Soviet armored trolley ...

" at the

Johnnie Walker Johnnie Walker is a brand of Scotch whisky produced by Diageo in Scotland. It was established in the Scottish burgh of Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire in 1820, and continued to be produced and bottled at the town's Hill Street plant, once the world's ...

Step Up to VIP Lifestyle Launch event. Shay was a supporting act on the 2013 Hennessy Artistry 2013 Club Tour. In December 2013, she gave a performance at the Harp Rhythm Unplugged concert. On 8 January 2014, Shay released the music video for "Ragga Ragga"; it was filmed in Lagos and directed by Peters. At Darey's Love Like a Movie concert on February 15, 2014, Shay shared the stage with

Kelly Rowland Kelendria Trene Rowland (born February 11, 1981) is an American singer, actress, and television personality. She rose to fame in the late 1990s as a member of Destiny's Child, one of the world's List of best-selling girl groups, best-selling gir ...

, D'banj,

Tiwa Savage Tiwatope Omolara Savage (born 5 February 1980), known professionally as Tiwa Savage (), is a Nigerian singer, songwriter and actress. Savage sings in English, Nigerian Pidgin and Yoruba; her music is a blend of afrobeats, R&B, afropop, p ...

, Mo' Eazy, Zaina, Timi Dakolo,

Waje Aituaje Aina Vivian Ebele Iruobe (born 1 September 1981), known professionally as Waje (an acronym for "Words Aren't Just Enough"), is a Nigerian singer. She first gained recognition after being featured on the remake of P-Square’s "Omoge Mi" ...

, Muna, JJC, and Eva Alordiah. "Ragga Ragga" peaked at number 7 on MTV Base's Official Naija Top 10 chart for the week of 15 March through 19 March 2014. On 1 April 2014, Shay released the Dokta Frabz-produced single "Murda", which features additional vocals by

and Shaydee. In a review for ''Jaguda'', music critic Aribaba awarded the song a rating of 9 out of 10, commending Shay for using a familiar line. On 11 May 2014, the music video for "Murda" was uploaded to Vevo; it was directed by Meji Alabi for JM Films. Shay released her debut studio album, ''Seyi or Shay'', in November 2015. On 22 April 2016, she released the music video for the song "Pack and Go", which features Olamide and appeared on ''Seyi or Shay''. On 10 January 2017, Shay released the single "Yolo Yolo", which was produced by DJ Coublon. The song's music video was directed by Meji Alabi and released on 20 March 2017. It was nominated for Best Music Video at

The Headies 2018 The Headies 2018 was the 12th edition of The Headies. It was held on May 5, 2018, at the Eko Convention Centre in Victoria Island, Lagos. Nigerian comedian Bovi and singer Seyi Shay hosted the ceremony. After shortlisting thousands of entries su ...

. "Yolo Yolo" appeared in a Baileys commercial that aired in Sub-Saharan Africa. In March 2019, Shay announced on Instagram that she was awarded a

concert residency A concert residency (also known as musical residency or simply residency) is a series of concerts, similar to a concert tour, but performed at only one location. The ''Pollstar'' Awards defined a residency as a run of 10 or more shows at a sing ...

at the

Canary Wharf Canary Wharf is a financial area of London, England, located in the Isle of Dogs in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. The Greater London Authority defines it as part of London's central business district, alongside Central London. Alongside ...

in London. The two-night event was held on 29 and 30 May 2019. That same year, Shay released the Runtown-assisted track " Gimme Love", which won Best R&B Single at The Headies 2019. She also released the remix of "Gimme Love", which features vocals by

Teyana Taylor Teyana Me Shay Jacqueli Taylor (born December 10, 1990) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, model, dancer, choreographer, and music video director. After choreographing the video for Beyoncé's 2006 single " Ring the Alarm," she signed ...

2020–present: ''Nigerian Idol'', Aristokrat Group, and Universal Music France

On 2 February 2021,

MultiChoice MultiChoice is a South Africa, South African company that operates DStv, a major satellite television service in Sub-Saharan Africa. The company also operates GOtv Africa, GOtv, a minor satellite TV service operating in 9 countries, and Showmax, ...

Nigeria appointed Shay to serve as judge on the sixth season of '' Nigerian Idol''. During the show's audition in March 2021, Shay was criticized for comments she made about Mayowa "Tohrus" Odueyungbo, who was one of the contestants. On 29 March 2021, television host Frank Edoho criticized all of the judges for their remarks. Shay responded to the criticism on Twitter, saying: "I'm feeling like # JudgeJudy right now. You either love her or you hate her, and that's quite alright! either way, thanks for the #1 trend". In June 2020, Shay signed a management deal with Aristokrat Records. In 2021, she inked a publishing deal with

and Aristokrat Publishing.

Artistry and role models

Although her musical style is primarily a combination of

Afropop African popular music (also styled Afropop, Afro-pop, Afro pop or African pop) can be defined as any African music, regardless of genre, that uses Western pop musical instruments, such as the guitar, piano, trumpet, etc.Olabode, O. (2023, J ...

and R&B, Shay doesn't conform to a particular genre of music. She believes that her musical prowess covers different genres, and has stated that her music draws from things that inspire her. Shay has cited her mother,

2face Idibia Innocent Ujah Idibia Order of the Niger, MON (; born 18 September 1975), known by his stage name 2Baba and formerly as 2Face Idibia, is a Nigerian singer-songwriter, record producer and philanthropist known for his solo debut album, ''Face 2 Fa ...

Tina Turner Tina Turner (born Anna Mae Bullock; November 26, 1939 – May 24, 2023) was a singer, songwriter, actress, and author. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Rock 'n' Roll", her vocal prowess, raspy voice, and electrifyin ...

, Sound Sultan,

Wizkid Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun (born 16 July 1990), better known as Wizkid, is a Nigerian singer and songwriter. Born in the Ojuelegba suburb of Surulere, Lagos, Wizkid is a voice in the emerging Afrobeats movement. His music is a blend of Afrobea ...

, and

Omawumi Omawumi Megbele (born 13 April 1982), known by her stage name Omawumi, is a Nigerian singer-songwriter and actress of Itsekiri ethnicity. She is a brand ambassador for Globacom, Konga.com, and Malta Guinness. She's also part of the campaign ...

as mentors.

Discography

;Studio albums *'' Seyi or Shay'' (2015) *'' Big Girl'' (2021) ;EPs *''Electric Package'' (2018)

Selected singles

Selected videography

Filmography

Awards and nominations

Notes

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Shay, Seyi Living people 1985 births Nigerian women musicians Yoruba women musicians Nigerian women pop singers Nigerian women singer-songwriters 21st-century Nigerian singer-songwriters Nigerian contemporary R&B singers 21st-century Nigerian women singers Alumni of the University of East London Singers from the London Borough of Haringey English people of Nigerian descent English people of Yoruba descent English-language singers from Nigeria Yoruba-language singers from the United Kingdom Nigerian reggae singers Island Records artists Yoruba actresses Nigerian film actresses Universal Music France artists Actresses from London Actors from the London Borough of Haringey People from Tottenham