Seyi Shay

Singer and songwriter Seyi Shay was born Oluwaseyi Odedere on December 21, 1985 in Tottenham, London. The daughter of Nigerian parents, she would spend time in that country throughout her childhood. Many of her family members sang or wrote music, leading to her first performing in public when she was just six years old. She studied music and business in college and landed her first big break when she formed the UK girl group Boadicea in 2006. They fell apart after a couple of years and Seyi Shay then became the lead singer of From Above. After that group disbanded, she relocated to Nigeria in 2011. She released over a half-dozen singles over the next few years, establishing her signature mix of Afropop and R&B on tracks like “Irawo” and “Chairman”. She also featured on other artists’ singles including Mr. Walz’s “Paradise” and Wizkid’s “In Love”. Her debut album, 2015’s Seyi or Shay featured the single “Jangilova”. Her sophomore album, Electricc Package, dropped in 2018, the same year as the release of her movie Lara and the Beat, where she played Lara.