Eight years after her stunning debut Merci Beauté (2017), Nigerian singer-songwriter Joyce Olong returns with Soseo, a masterclass in introspective songwriting and emotional precision.
More than just an EP, Soseo is a memoir in melody, one that finds Olong digging deeper into her vault of vulnerabilities — offering songs that confess, confront, and celebrate the layered dimensions of love. Across five carefully crafted tracks, she invites listeners into a world that is at once tender and unflinching.
From the balmy embrace of newfound affection on M.I.B, to the aching wisdom of heartbreak on Fool Me Once, Joyce Olong proves she is a gifted storyteller, wielding words like scalpels and silk.
Opening the EP, M.I.B(Make it better) feels like stepping into a sunlit room you never knew you needed — a song about the freshness of love, where warmth seeps into every lyric. Joyce leans into the comfort and grace of vulnerability, crooning about love’s ability to revive and steady even the most hesitant of hearts.
Following closely is Heartstrings, released earlier as a gentle prelude to Soseo, where she sings with arresting softness, “you bring sunny days to this moody child.”, this track is an ode to the quiet revolutions love inspires.
But it’s not all ballads and softness. On WWYD (What Would You Do), Olong flips the narrative. Set over a seductive bassline that demands movement, she trades introspection for playful provocation, asking on repeat, “with that waistline, what would you do?” It’s Joyce Olong at her most daring — sultry, rhythmic, and unapologetically confident.
Yet, where love blooms, it also breaks. Fool Me Once delivers the sharpest cut on the record, a raw confrontation of betrayal, layered in poignant lyricism and minimalist production that gives her voice all the space it needs to stab and soothe at once. Here, Joyce is clear-eyed and resolute as she sings, “you fool me once, you won’t fool me again.” Disappear, a fan-favorite bonus track, closes the EP.
Joyce Olong is a Nigerian singer, songwriter, and producer whose genre-defying sound and lush, introspective lyricism have steadily earned her a place among Nigeria’s most compelling alternative voices. In just a few years of quiet but intentional artistry, she has captivated discerning ears with music that feels both deeply personal and profoundly universal.
Her sonic identity is a rich tapestry of influences — seamlessly weaving Northern African rhythms with R&B, Soul, Reggae, and alternative pop. Growing up in a home where Gregorian chants, Arabic music, Motown classics, Reggae, and an eclectic mix of Nigerian and African genres played side by side, Joyce developed a sharp ear for melody and meaning. She honed her songwriting craft through a focused dissection of Hip-Hop and Country-Pop, layering this musical literacy into songs that resonate with depth and vulnerability.
While studying in Canada, Joyce expanded her artistry as a member of the Roots African Caribbean Society, performing as a featured singer at the annual CultureWave showcase for two consecutive years — experiences that helped shape her as a confident live performer and an artist unafraid to explore identity through sound.
In October 2017, Joyce released her debut EP Merci Beauté, a 5-track project described as a series of letters of gratitude to the women in her life. The record introduced her as an artist who approaches music with intentionality — weaving emotion, storytelling, and lush sonic palettes into every track.
Since then, Joyce has graced stages across Nigeria, performing at Majek Fashek’s “30 Years on Stage” celebration, Felabration, Aké Arts and Book Festival, Sterling Bank’s Café One Sunday Sessions, Afropolitan Vibes’ Urban Sessions, 90s Baby, and Berlin’s Pop-Kultur Live @ Soda Salon, among others — quietly but powerfully building a reputation for magnetic live performances that center intimacy and emotion.
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