Deborah Oluwaseyi Joshua (born 21 December 1985),[5][6] known professionally as Seyi Shay, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter and actress. She was a member of From Above, a now-defunct girl group that was previously signed to Columbia Records and managed by Mathew Knowles.[6] Shay relocated to Nigeria after the group disbanded in 2011, and signed a record deal with Flytime Music. She released her debut studio album, Seyi or Shay, in November 2015. It was supported by several singles, including "Murda", "Crazy", "Jangilova", and "Right Now". In January 2021, Shay signed a publishing deal with the French division of Universal Music Publishing Group.[7][8] Her second studio album, Big Girl, was released on 10 December 2021.
1985–2010: Early life, career beginnings, songwriting, and Flytime
Oluwaseyi Joshua was born and raised in Tottenham, England, to Nigerian parents.[9] Her mother (who is now deceased) 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 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.[10] She returned to London and performed with the London Community Gospel Choir during their world tour, which included 13 cities in Japan.[11] She studied music business management at the University of East London and graduated with a bachelor's degree with honours.[1][11][12] In an interview with This 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.[11] Her mother eventually told her to focus on her music career and put God first.[10]
Shay's music career took an upswing when she signed her first ever recording contract with No Apologies, a record company affiliated with George Martin, who was commonly referred to as the "fifth Beatle".[11] 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 band separated after two years, and Shay decided to audition for the From Above singing audition. She became a member of 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 while she was in the United Kingdom for her I Am... World Tour.[10] From Above presented the Best New Act award to Bruno Mars 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.[13][14] Shay had the opportunity to continue her management deal with Mathew Knowles and secure a contract with Sony despite the group's disbandment.
Shay has worked with a number of musicians, including Justin Timberlake, Brian Michael Cox, Darey, Bilal, Michelle Williams, Chip, Rob Knoxx, Harmony Samuels, and Cameron Wallace.[6] She wrote and produced three songs for the soundtrack to Konami's video game Crime Life: Gang Wars (2005).[15][16] She also wrote "You Will See", a song that was included on Melanie C's third studio album Beautiful Intentions (2005). Moreover, she composed "White Lies", a song from Chip's album Transition (2011).[15] 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.[1][17] 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 told Vanguard 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.[17]
2011–2013: Seyi or Shay and notable performances
Seyi Shay performing for Ndani Sessions in October 2018
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.[18][19] On 27 July 2012, Shay released the single "Irawo", which was produced by Del B and originally titled "Erawo".[20] 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.[21] The remix of "Irawo" includes a rap verse by Vector and was released on 6 December 2012.[22]
Shay performed at the 2013 COSON Song Awards.[23] In May 2013, she told Odukoya that she recorded a song with Olamide; 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.[10] Shay has been featured on songs released by several artists, including Praiz, Mr. Walz, Yung Grey C, and Amir.[24] In July 2013, she performed at one of Big Brother Africa 8's live eviction shows.[25] Shay played at the 2013 edition of Star Music Trek in Asaba on 20 July 2013.[26] In August 2013, she released the single "Killin' Me Softly", which features vocals by Timaya 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.[17]
On 27 September 2013, Shay performed at the Sisters with Soul concert, which was headlined by Mary J. Blige.[27] On 6 October 2013, she released the singles "Ragga Ragga" and "Chairman".[28] Both songs were produced by Del B. The latter track features vocals by Kcee, who was present during the song's composition.[17] Prior to releasing the two singles, Shay signed a partnership deal with the talent company J-Management.[29] In November 2013, she signed an endorsement deal with telecommunications service provider Etisalat.[30][31] That same month, she and Wale performed "Bad" at the Johnnie Walker Step Up to VIP Lifestyle Launch event.[32] Shay was a supporting act on the 2013 Hennessy Artistry 2013 Club Tour.[33] In December 2013, she gave a performance at the Harp Rhythm Unplugged concert.[34]
2014–2019: Electric Package and concert residency
On 8 January 2014, Shay released the music video for "Ragga Ragga"; it was filmed in Lagos and directed by Peters.[35] At Darey's Love Like a Movie concert on February 15, 2014, Shay shared the stage with Kelly Rowland, D'banj, Tiwa Savage, Mo' Eazy, Zaina, Timi Dakolo, Waje, Muna, JJC, and Eva Alordiah.[36] "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.[37] On 1 April 2014, Shay released the Dokta Frabz-produced single "Murda", which features additional vocals by Patoranking and Shaydee.[38] 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.[39] The music video for "Murda" was directed by Meji Alabi and uploaded to Vevo on 11 May 2014.[40] Shay inked a recording contract with Island Records in July 2015, and signed a two-year endorsement deal with Pepsi that same year.[41][42] She released her debut studio album, Seyi or Shay, in November 2015.[43]
In an April 2016 interview with Nancy Isime on HipTV's Trending, Shay confidently said that EP is an acronym for "Electric Package".[44][45] She trended on Twitter and footage of her gaffe went viral online.[44] Prior to this, Shay pronounced "Two" as "Tuwo" while speaking to Chuey Chu on Pulse TV.[44] On 22 April 2016, she released the music video for the song "Pack and Go", which features Olamide and appeared on Seyi or Shay.[46] On 10 January 2017, Shay released the single "Yolo Yolo", which was produced by DJ Coublon.[47] The song's music video was directed by Meji Alabi and released on 20 March 2017.[48] It was nominated for Best Music Video at The Headies 2018. "Yolo Yolo" appeared in a Baileys commercial that aired in Sub-Saharan Africa.[49] Shay released her debut Extended Play (EP), Electric Package, Vol. 1, on 29 May 2018, along with a documentary.[50] The title alludes to the blunder she made when referring to EP as "Electric Package" on Trending.[51] The EP is composed of six tracks and marks Shay's first project in three years.[52] A mixture of Afrobeats and gqom, Electric Package, Vol. 1 features collaborations with Kizz Daniel, Flavour, King Promise, Vanessa Mdee, DJ Spinall, DJ Cuppy, Anatii, DJ Consequence, and Slimcase.[52] Production was handled by Killertunes, DJ Coublon, Krizz Beat, Lush Beat, Anatii, and Chopstix.[52]
2020–present: Nigerian Idol, publishing deal, rift with Tiwa Savage, and Big Girl
On 2 February 2021, MultiChoice Nigeria appointed Shay to serve as judge on the sixth season of Nigerian Idol.[57] 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.[58] On 29 March 2021, television host Frank Edoho criticized all of the judges for their remarks.[59] 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".[60]
In June 2020, Shay signed a management deal with Aristokrat Records.[61] In May 2021, she inked a publishing deal with Universal Music Publishing Group and Aristokrat Publishing.[7][62] In June 2021, Shay engaged in a minor dispute with Savage at an upscale salon in Lekki.[63] A few years prior to the confrontation, Savage downplayed Shay's endorsement deal with Pepsi after being asked in a radio interview to share her thoughts about the announcement.[63] Shay released her own version of Kizz Daniel's "Fvck You" challenge, in which she made a number of disparaging terms and accused Savage of "selling pussy".[63] In October 2025, Shay revealed that her former PA had an affair with Savage's ex husband Tunji Balogun, and believed that it was the root cause of the rift.[64] Shay said Savage was convinced that she was aware of the affair and was encouraging it.[64]
Shay released her second studio album, Big Girl, on 10 December 2021.[65] It comprises ten tracks and features guest appearances from Calema, Simi, Wande Coal, Yemi Alade, and Backroad Gee.[66] Shay described the album as "a documentation of the experiences, growth and evolution that I've undergone in the last five years".[66]
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