Deborah Oluwaseyi Joshua (born Oluwaseyi Joshua; 21 December 1985), known professionally as Seyi Shay (pronounced Shay-yee Shay), is a Nigerian singer, songwriter and actress. In 2008, she became the lead singer for the now defunct pop girl group From Above. The group signed a recording deal with Columbia Records and was managed by Mathew Knowles' Music World Entertainment company. In November 2013, Shay signed an endorsement deal with telecommunications service provider Etisalat. In July 2015, she inked a recording contract with Island Records, and signed a two-year endorsement deal with Pepsi that same year. In November 2015, Shay released her debut studio album Seyi or Shay, which was supported by the singles "Irawo", "Ragga Ragga", "Right Now" and "Murda" (featuring Patoranking and Shaydee). In January 2021, Shay signed a publishing deal with the French division of Universal Music Publishing Group.

=== 1985–2010: Early life, career beginnings, songwriting, and record deal with Flytime === Oluwaseyi Joshua was born and raised in Tottenham, England, to Nigerian parents. Her deceased mother 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 prominent 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, which included 13 cities in Japan. She studied music business management at the University of East London and graduated with a bachelor's degree with honours. 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. Her mother eventually told her to focus on her music career and put God first. Shay's music career took an upswing when she signed her first ever record deal with No Apologies, a record company affiliated with George Martin, who was commonly referred to as the "fifth Beatle". 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 was chosen as the lead vocalist for the female group 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. 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. The group later disbanded and Shay had an opportunity to continue her management deal with Mathew Knowles, as well as secure a recording contract with Sony. 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. Shay wrote and produced three songs for the soundtrack to Konami's video game Crime Life: Gang Wars (2005). She also wrote "You Will See", a song that was included on Melanie C's third studio album Beautiful Intentions (2005). Moreover, she wrote "White Lies", a song from Chip's album Transition (2011). 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. Shay was also introduced to Cecil Hammond, who signed her to his record label, Flytime Music, and launched her solo career in Nigeria. 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.