Seyi Shay: I Lost My Will to Sing

For Nigerian singer Seyi Shay, music has always been more than a career; it’s been a lifeline.

But in a recent emotional revelation, the “Irawo” crooner shared how the death of her mentor, Sound Sultan, nearly ended her journey in music altogether.

Speaking in a candid interview with TVC, Shay described the late Sound Sultan not just as a mentor but as a father figure, a friend, and the man who ushered her into the Nigerian music scene when she first relocated from the UK.

“When I first came to Nigeria, I was living with him and his wife in FESTAC for a year. He co-signed me and introduced me to everybody in the industry to make sure that those who were his people looked out for me”, she recalled.

That bond made his passing in July 2021 a devastating blow. At the time, Seyi was a judge on Nigerian Idol, juggling her demanding career with personal battles.

She revealed that she had planned to visit Sound Sultan in New York that very weekend to deliver something he had asked her for—an opportunity fate cruelly denied.

“It just tore me apart. I didn’t get to see him before he passed away. After that, I didn’t have the will to continue music. My peace of mind and mental health were broken.”

But life, as it often does, threw another curveball. Shortly after, she became pregnant with her daughter; a twist that forced her to rethink her priorities.

“I told myself there’s no way I’m going to have my child in the toxic music industry that I was in, under the constant scrutiny. So, I decided to take a break.”

The pause was not just about grief, it was about survival.

For Seyi, it was a chance to step away from the spotlight, rebuild her strength, and prepare to return as a mother, an artist, and a woman who has weathered profound personal storms.

Today, her story is more than a tale of loss: it’s a proof to resilience and the complicated intersections of grief, motherhood, and artistry in Nigeria’s ever-demanding entertainment industry.

And while Sound Sultan may be gone, his legacy clearly lives on in the artists he nurtured; Seyi Shay among them.