Deborah Oluwaseyi Joshua

EARLY LIFE

Deborah Oluwaseyi Joshua was born and raised in Tottenham, England, to Nigerian parents. 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. She returned to London and performed with the London Community Gospel Choir during their world tour. She studied music business management at the University of East London and graduated with a bachelor's degree with honours. In an interview, 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.

CAREER

Seyi Shay's music career began when she signed her first ever recording contract with No Apologies, a record company affiliated with George Martin. In 2006, Shay formed a girl band in the UK called Boadicea; they were managed by Ron Tom. After Boadicea broke up, Shay joined From Above after auditioning. The group signed a record deal with Mathew Knowles' Music World Entertainment Corporation and supported Beyoncé during her UK tour. From Above also presented an award at the 2011 MTV Europe Music Awards and had their own reality show. Shay worked with several musicians, including Justin Timberlake and Michelle Williams, and wrote songs for Konami's video game Crime Life: Gang Wars and Melanie C's album. She also wrote 'White Lies' for Chip's album. In 2011, she relocated to Nigeria after Sound Sultan convinced her to pursue a music career there. She signed with Flytime Music, launching her solo career. She released her debut studio album, 'Seyi or Shay', in November 2015, supported by singles like 'Murda', 'Crazy', 'Jangilova', and 'Right Now'. In 2018, she released her debut Extended Play (EP), 'Electric Package, Vol. 1'. In March 2019, Shay announced a concert residency in London and released 'Gimme Love', which won Best R&B Single at The Headies 2019. In 2020, she signed a management deal with Aristokrat Records and a publishing deal with Universal Music Publishing Group and Aristokrat Publishing. In February 2021, she was appointed judge on the sixth season of Nigerian Idol. Her second studio album, 'Big Girl', was released on December 10, 2021. Seyi Shay made her major Nollywood feature film debut starring as the lead character in the 2018 movie Lara and the Beat. She also appeared in Assistant Madam (Season 2).

PERSONAL LIFE

Seyi Shay has a daughter who was born on 16 April 2022. She and her daughter appeared in public for the first time on 4 December 2022. In June 2021, Shay was involved in a dispute with Tiwa Savage, which she later revealed in October 2025 was due to Savage believing Shay was aware of and encouraging an affair between Savage's ex-husband and Shay's former PA.