Odeal | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Hillary Dennis Udanoh |
| Born | Germany |
| Genres | R&B, Afro-fusion, Afropop, Alternative pop, Alté, Afroswing |
| Occupations |
|
| Instrument | Vocals |
| Labels |
|
Hillary Dennis Udanoh popularly known as Odeal [1] is a German-Nigerian singer-songwriter currently signed to OVMBR, and LVRN. He rose to prominence with the release of the song "Soh-Soh" which peaked at 3 on the UK Afrobeats Singles Chart, peaked at 12 on the Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs, and peaked at 42 on the Nigeria Official Top 100 Songs.
On 2 September 2025, Billboard named Odeal as its African Rookie of the Year. [2]
Hillary Dennis Udanoh was born in Germany to Nigerian parents. [3] His early childhood was marked by movement across Europe and Africa: at the age of three, he relocated to Spain, and around age six, his family settled in the United Kingdom. [3] He recalls that, even as a toddler, he preferred singing along to his mother's CDs over watching cartoons, and she encouraged his passion by gifting him a toy microphone that became an early creative tool.
At age fourteen, Odeal moved to Awka in Anambra State, Nigeria, to attend boarding school and live with his father. [3] There, he discovered a local youth club recording studio and spent his free time crafting his earliest original songs, inspired by R&B rather than the mainstream African pop around him. [3] Despite initial cultural differences in musical style, he remained dedicated, learning by observation and immersing himself in studio sessions. [3]
During his school years, Odeal continued exploring music production, even installing FruityLoops on a school computer and secretly composing beats late at night—an experiment that was eventually discovered, but revealed his deep commitment to craft. [3] After returning to London at seventeen, he witnessed the rise of Afroswing in the UK. [3] Initially collaborating with the group TMG, he soon embarked on a solo path, releasing his debut EP Need Time in 2017. [3] Earlier that year, he also experienced a serious illness that required hospitalization, which intensified his determination to leave a meaningful mark through music. [3]
In 2014, Hillary Dennis Udanoh began his music career by releasing covers on YouTube. [4] In 2017, he made his official debut with the independently Love Renaissance distributed the extended play New Time. In the same year, Odeal launched OVMBR, a music collective and record label, in November. [5] In 2018, he released the Pragma EP. In 2020, he signed with Warner Music UK and released OVMBR: Roses. In 2021, he released OVMBR:Hits No Mrs, through Warner Music UK. [6] In 2022, he went solo, and released "Coffee (Don't Read Signs)", independently through OVMBR. [5] On 21 May 2022, "Coffee (Don't Read Signs)" debut at number 11 on the UK Afrobeats Singles Chart. [7]
On 2 December 2022, Odeal released OVMBR: Maybe I’m Best Alone. [8] In 2023, Odeal released "Be Easy", [5] and it debuted at number 10 on the UK Afrobeats chart. [9] On 24 November 2023, he released Thoughts I Never Said, through OVMBR. [10] In 2024, Odeal signed up for Ditto label services, [11] and released "Onome" on 14 June 2024, and it peaked at number 10 on the UK official Afrobeats chart. [12] On 5 July 2024, he released the extended play Sunday at Zuri. [13] From the extended play, "Soh-Soh" became his major hit record, and went viral on TikTok. On 29 July 2024, Odeal made his first chart entry on the Official Nigeria Top 100 songs at number 83, and reached number 42 . [14]
On 21 September 2024, "Soh-Soh" peaked at number 3 on the UK Afrobeat chart. [15] On 5 October 2024, "Soh-Soh" peaked at number 12 on Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs, [16] and debuted at number 29, on 20 July. [17] On 11 October 2024, Odeal released "Temptress". [18] On 26 October 2024, "Temptress" debut at number 16 on the UK Afrobeat chart. [19] On 31 October 2024, Billboard listed "Temptress" as one of its Afrobeats Fresh Picks of the week. [20] On 14 November 2024, Odeal released "You’re Stuck", featuring Summer Walker, and signed with Love Renaissance. 30 November 2024, "You’re Stuck" peaked at number 2 on the UK Afrobeats chart. [21]
On 15 November 2024, Odeal release his extended play Lustropolis, through OVMBR, and Love Renaissance (LVRN). [22] On 20 November 2024, released the official music video of "You’re Stuck", featuring Summer Walker, and produced by Blank Square Productions. [23] On 24 January 2025, he released Lustropolis: Melody Avenue, a no-drum version of his debut album Lustropolis. On 30 January 2025, Billboard named Odeal, African Rookie of the Month. [3] On 11 April 2025, he featured on Lojay's "Mwah!", [24] and debuted at number 16 on the UK Afrobeats chart. [25] On 30 May 2025, he released "London Summers", accompanied by a music video. [26]
On 11 July 2025, he released his extended play The Summer That Saved Me. [27]
As lead artist | ||
| Year | Title | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | "Coffee (Don't Read Signs)" | Non-album single |
| 2023 | "Be Easy" | |
| 2024 | "Onome" | Sunday At Zuri's |
| "Temptress" | Lustropolis | |
| "You’re Stuck" (feat. Summer Walker) | ||
| 2025 | "London Summers" | The Summer That Saved Me |
| "Miami" (feat. Leon Thomas) | ||
As featured artist | ||
| Year | Title | Album |
| 2025 | "Mwah!" (Lojay feat. Odeal) | TBA |
| Award | Year | Recipient(s) and nominees(s) | Category | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MOBO Awards | 2025 | "Soh-Soh" | Song of the Year | Nominated | [28] [29] |
| Himself | Best R&B/Soul Act | Won | |||
| Best Newcomer | Won | ||||
| BET Awards | 2025 | Best New International Act | Nominated | [30] [31] | |
| Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players | 2025 | R&B, Hip-Hop and African Rookies of the Year | Won | [32] |