Seyi Shay | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Oluwaseyi Joshua |
| Born | (1985-12-21)21 December 1985 (age 39) Tottenham,London, United Kingdom |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
|
| Instrument | Vocals |
| Years active | 2001–present[A] |
| Labels |
|
| Website | iamseyishay |
Deborah Oluwaseyi Joshua (bornOluwaseyi Joshua; 21 December 1985),[5][6] known professionally asSeyi Shay (pronounced Shay-yee Shay), is a Nigerian singer, songwriter and actress. In 2008, she became the lead singer for the now defunct popgirl group From Above. The group signed a recording deal withColumbia Records and was managed byMathew Knowles' Music World Entertainment company.[6] In November 2013, Shay signed an endorsement deal with telecommunications service providerEtisalat.[7][8] In July 2015, she inked a recording contract withIsland Records, and signed a two-year endorsement deal withPepsi that same year.[9][10] In November 2015, Shay released her debut studio albumSeyi or Shay, which was supported by the singles "Irawo", "Ragga Ragga", "Right Now" and "Murda" (featuringPatoranking andShaydee). In January 2021, Shay signed a publishing deal with the French division ofUniversal Music Publishing Group.[11][12]
Oluwaseyi Joshua was born and raised inTottenham, England, to Nigerian parents.[13] Her deceased mother was a chorister and her father is a native ofIfe. 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.[14] She returned to London and performed with theLondon Community Gospel Choir during their world tour, which included 13 cities in Japan.[15] She studied music business management at theUniversity of East London and graduated with a bachelor's degree with honours.[1][15][16] In an interview withThis Day'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.[15] Her mother eventually told her to focus on her music career and put God first.[14]
Shay's music career took an upswing when she signed her first ever record deal with No Apologies, a record company affiliated withGeorge Martin, who was commonly referred to as the "fifth Beatle".[15] In 2006, Shay formed a girl band in the UK called Boadicea; they were managed by Ron Tom, the founder and manager ofAll Saints andSugababes. 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 supportedBeyoncé while she was in the United Kingdom for herI Am... World Tour.[14] From Above presented the Best New Act award toBruno Mars at the2011 MTV Europe Music Awards and had their own reality show calledBreaking From Above, which aired in over 166 countries around the world.[17][18] 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, includingJustin Timberlake,Brian Michael Cox,Darey,Bilal,Michelle Williams,Chip, Rob Knoxx,Harmony Samuels, and Cameron Wallace.[6]
Shay wrote and produced three songs for the soundtrack toKonami's video gameCrime Life: Gang Wars (2005).[19][20] She also wrote "You Will See", a song that was included onMelanie C's third studio albumBeautiful Intentions (2005). Moreover, she wrote "White Lies", a song fromChip's albumTransition (2011).[19] Shay was introduced toSound 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.[1][21] Shay was also introduced to Cecil Hammond, who signed her to his record label, Flytime Music, and launched her solo career in Nigeria.[6] In 2013, Shay left Flytime Music and toldVanguard 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.[21]
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 andCobhams Asuquo.[22][23] On 27 July 2012, Shay released the album's lead single "Irawo", which was produced byDel B and originally titled "Erawo".[24] Shay said she wrote "Irawo" to inspire her colleagues and workmates to pull together. The song's music video was directed byClarence Peters and uploaded to YouTube on 3 June 2013, at a total length of 3 minutes and 47 seconds.[25] The remix of "Irawo" includes a rap verse byVector and was released on 6 December 2012.[26]
Shay performed at the 2013 COSON Song Awards.[27] In May 2013, she told Odukoya that she recorded a song withOlamide; 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.[14] Shay has been featured on songs released by several artists, includingPraiz, Mr. Walz, Yung Grey C, and Amir.[28] In July 2013, she performed at one ofBig Brother Africa 8's live eviction shows.[29] Shay played at the 2013 edition of Star Music Trek inAsaba on 20 July 2013.[30] In August 2013, she released the album's second single "Killin' Me Softly", which features vocals byTimaya and was written and produced byDel B. In an interview withVanguard'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.[21]
On 27 September 2013, Shay performed at the Sisters with Soul concert, which was headlined byMary J. Blige.[31] On 6 October 2013, she released "Ragga Ragga" and "Chairman" as the album's third and fourth singles, respectively.[32] Both songs were produced by Del B. The latter track features vocals byKcee, who was present during the song's composition.[21] Prior to releasing the two singles, Shay signed a partnership deal with the talent company J-Management.[33] On 20 November 2013, she andWale performed "Bad" at theJohnnie Walker Step Up to VIP Lifestyle Launch event.[34] Shay was a supporting act on the 2013 Hennessy Artistry 2013 Club Tour.[35] In December 2013, she gave a performance at the Harp Rhythm Unplugged concert.[36]
On 8 January 2014, Shay released the music video for "Ragga Ragga"; it was filmed in Lagos and directed by Peters.[37] At Darey's Love Like a Movie concert on February 15, 2014, Shay shared the stage withKelly Rowland, D'banj,Tiwa Savage, Mo' Eazy, Zaina,Timi Dakolo,Waje,Muna, JJC, andEva Alordiah.[38] "Ragga Ragga" peaked at number 7 onMTV Base's Official Naija Top 10 chart for the week of 15 March through 19 March 2014.[39] On 1 April 2014, Shay released the Dokta Frabz-produced single "Murda", which features additional vocals byPatoranking andShaydee.[40] In a review forJaguda, music critic Aribaba awarded the song a rating of 9 out of 10, commending Shay for using a familiar line.[41] On 11 May 2014, the music video for "Murda" was uploaded to Vevo; it was directed by Meji Alabi for JM Films.[42] 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 onSeyi or Shay.[43]
On 10 January 2017, Shay released the single "Yolo Yolo", which was produced byDJ Coublon.[44] The song's music video was directed by Meji Alabi and released on 20 March 2017.[45] It was nominated for Best Music Video atThe Headies 2018. "Yolo Yolo" appeared in aBaileys commercial that aired in Sub-Saharan Africa.[46] In March 2019, Shay announced on Instagram that she was awarded aconcert residency at theCanary Wharf in London. The two-night event was held on 29 and 30 May 2019.[47][48] That same year, Shay released theRuntown-assisted track "Gimme Love", which wonBest R&B Single atThe Headies 2019. She also released the remix of "Gimme Love", which features vocals byTeyana Taylor.
On 2 February 2021,MultiChoice Nigeria appointed Shay to serve as judge on the sixth season ofNigerian Idol.[49] 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.[50] On 29 March 2021, television hostFrank Edoho criticized all of the judges for their remarks.[51] 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".[52]
In June 2020, Shay signed a management deal withAristokrat Records.[53] In 2021, she inked a publishing deal withUniversal Music Publishing Group and Aristokrat Publishing.[11][54]
Although her musical style is primarily a combination ofAfropop andR&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,Mathew Knowles,2face Idibia,Beyoncé,Tina Turner,Sound Sultan,Wizkid, andOmawumi as mentors.[15][17][21][55]
As lead artist | ||
| Year | Title | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | "Loving Your Way" | Non-album single |
| "No Le Le" | ||
| 2012 | "Irawo" | |
| "Irawo" (Remix)(featuringVector) | ||
| 2013 | "Chante"(featuring Ajuju) | |
| "Killin' Me Softly"(featuringTimaya) | ||
| "Chairman"(featuringKcee) | ||
| "Ragga Ragga" | ||
| 2014 | "Murda"(featuringPatoranking and Shaydee) | Seyi or Shay |
| 2015 | "Crazy"(featuringWizkid ) | |
| "Jangilova" | ||
| "Right Now" | ||
| 2016 | "Pack and Go"(featuringOlamide ) | |
| 2018 | "Ko Ma Roll"(featuring Harmonize) | Non-album single |
As featured artist | ||
| Year | Title | Album |
| 2013 | "For You"(Praiz featuring Seyi Shay) | Non-album single |
| "Paradise"(Mr Walz featuring Seyi Shay) | Walz Have Ears | |
| "Get Down"(Yung GreyC featuring Seyi Shay) | Non-album single | |
| "Yarinya"(Amir featuring Seyi Shay) | ||
| 2014 | "In Love"(Wizkid featuring Seyi Shay) | Ayo |
| 2015 | "Sugar"(Ayoola featuring Seyi Shay) | Non-album single |
| "The Motion"(DJ Lambo featuring Seyi Shay, Cynthia Morgan &Eva Alordiah) | ||
| 2016 | "Only You (Remix)"(Nikki Laoye featuring Seyi Shay) | |
| 2017 | "Celebrate"(NC Dread featuring Seyi Shay) | |
| 2018 | "Yalla Habibi"(Ragheb Alama featuring Seyi Shay andCosti Ioniță) | |
| 2018 | "Bia" | Electric Package |
| 2018 | "Alele"(featuring DJ Consequence andFlavour N'abania) | |
| 2020 | "By Gones"(Navio featuring Seyi Shay and Sheila Way) | Strength in Numbers |
| Year | Title | Director | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | "Murda"(featuringPatoranking andShaydee) | Meji Alabi | [56] |
| 2015 | "Right Now" | [57] | |
| 2017 | "Bia" | Clarence Peters | [58] |
| "Weekend Vibes" (Remix)(featuringSarkodie) | Moe Musa | [59] | |
| "Your Matter"(featuring Eugy and Efosa) | Meji Alabi | [60] | |
| 2018 | "Surrender"(featuringKizz Daniel) | Clarence Peters | [61] |
| 2019 | "Ko Ma Roll"(featuring Harmonize) | Cardoso Imagery | [62] |
| "Gimme Love"(featuringRuntown) | Clarence Peters | [63] |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Lara and the Beat | Lara | [64] |
| Year | Event | Prize | Recipient | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | The Headies | Best Vocal Performance (Female) | "Irawo" | Nominated | [65] |
| Next Rated | Herself | Nominated | |||
| City People Entertainment Awards | Best New Musician of the Year (Female) | Won | [66] | ||
| Nigeria Entertainment Awards | Best New Act of the Year | Nominated | [67] | ||
| Chase Awards | Artiste of the Year (Female) | — | [68] | ||
| Song of the Year | "Irawo" | — | |||
| 2014 | 2014 Channel O Music Video Awards | Most Gifted Female | "Irawo" | Nominated | [69] |
| City People Entertainment Awards | Musician of the Year (Female) | Herself | Nominated | [70] | |
| 2014 Nigeria Entertainment Awards | Female Artist of the Year | Nominated | [71] | ||
| World Music Awards | World's Best Song | "Ragga Ragga" | Nominated | [72] | |
| World's Best Video | Nominated | ||||
| World's Best Female Artiste | Herself | Nominated | |||
| World's Best Live Act | Nominated | ||||
| World's Best Entertainer of the Year | Nominated | ||||
| 2015 | MTV Africa Music Awards 2015 | Best Female & Video of the Year | TBA | Nominated | [73][74] |
| 2019 | The Headies | Best R&B Single | "Gimme Love" | Won | [75] |
| 2021 | Net Honours | Most Popular Musician | Herself | Nominated | [76] |
| Most Searched Musician (female) | Nominated |
