Singer talks about career, success, Sound Sultan, new album [Video]

The singer had an incredible 2015, hitting personal heights as she signed a deal with Island Universal Records, Pepsi, released her debut album and celebrated the success of hit singles.

She details all of these in an interview with Pulse TV. Read excerpts below.

On being underrated: “I feel like there’s politics, I feel like there are different people you have to please at different times. I also feel like I’m not like a power house,” Seyi told Pulse TV.

“I am not a Chocolate City, or Mavins or something like that. I am not any of these record labels. I’m just a girl, tryiong to make an imprint, and trying to do something different.

“One of the people, I’m really inspired by is Omawumi. She is someone that set this trend of being a woman, and just going at it…and believing in yourself, and working extra hard because we have to. We are girls, and we are not signed to any label.

“It’s not really about being undermined, or undervalued. Some opportunities come to different people at different times for different reasons. And time, is probably the operative word and most powerful word in everything I have just said there, because time means everything. And I feel like my time will come.”

On considering an acting career:I have been offered a few movie roles in the past six months. I know a few directors that are really cool, like I have a good relationship with Nollywood in general, and I like to act as you can tell from my music videos," the singer said to Pulse TV.

But I don’t know if I have that much time, especially in the New Year. Because now that I have released I need to go on tour across the rest of Africa.

I need to get close to my fans now that they have an idea of what I’m about. Also. I own a record label, so I have to sign people and focus on them.

And then I’m a woman, so I need to chill out, and be like a woman. So there’s a lot of other things I need to do first, before I think of acting and modeling, and all these other things."

On signing with Island Universal Records:“I think a lot of record companies around the world at one point last year were looking for acts within Africa. So they were focusing on South Africa, Ghana, and Nigeria. I know they signed some other acts, from different parts of Africa,” Shay told Pulse TV.

“I was signed mainly off the strength of ‘Murda’. Murda was released independently, completely independently with no engine, no marketing, no nothing, no money. And it grew its own wings, it crossed over, and it charted in the UK on its own.

“I think they found that to be quite a big deal, and so they decided to invest in wherever that success came from, and that was me and my team."

On relationship with Sound Sultan, Orezi:"I didn't grow up with my dad" said Seyi Shay, "I didn't meet my dad until quite late in my life because I was raised by my mom and siblings pretty much in the UK, but I knew when I met Sound Sultan he was very, very fatherly to me. The very first day I just him, my group had just broken up, I was in a studio in London trying to continue my career with or without any help.

"Sound Sultan walked in. He heard something playing from the producer who heard my voice on it. He was impressed.

"I have known Orezi for like two years. I knew him before he had his first hit song. I met him through and Orezi is so talented. I wish you guys could actually hear him sing. He is phenomenal and is a great songwriter.

Watch the full Pulse TV interview below.