Neo Soul/R&B Singer, Merry-Lynn

Independent Neo Soul/R&B singer Merry-Lynn shares her journey from seminary school to her evolution as an expressive artist. She discusses her early inspirations, the struggles she faced, how she overcame them, and what sets her apart.

Coming from Abuja, Merry-Lynn’s soulful melodies and introspective lyrics provide a window into her world of genuine emotion and sincerity.

In this heartfelt conversation with emerging Nigerian singer-songwriter Merry-Lynn, we explore the depths of her musical journey and creative process.

With her latest EP, “Mixed Signals,” resonating globally, Merry-Lynn shines as an intriguing figure in Nigeria’s music landscape. She gracefully blends elements of soul, jazz, reggae, and R&B, captivating audiences from the very first listen.

Join us as we discuss Merry-Lynn’s growth as an artist, friendships, influences, and the profound impact of her music on audiences worldwide.

NTS: On your artist bio on Spotify, it says you were born and grew up in Abuja?

Merry-Lynn: Mmhmmm, that’s true. I occasionally left for school tho, like a couple times, but I was born here and after school, I always come back to stay with my family, that was the usual.

NTS: Okay where was school?

Merry-Lynn: I went to two secondary schools: one was Nigeria Navy School in Calabar, and the other one was called Evangel; it was a seminary school and for university, I attended FUTO (Federal University of Technology Owerri).

NTS: You got into music at 15, were you still in secondary school then?
Merry-Lynn: No, I was partially in university at that time because I think I graduated from secondary school at around 13 or 14 years old.

NTS: Oh wow, that’s quite young! So, during that time, you were also a member of a girl group called ‘The Mercy Singers’?

Merry-Lynn: Yes, for a while in secondary school, we were a group, but there was no way we could continue because we were still so young. After we left secondary school, we just went our separate ways.

NTS: That’s understandable. It’s interesting that you also released your first single, ‘Silver Surfer,’ in 2015, still at an early age. How was that experience for you?

Merry-Lynn: Lol, it was more fun than serious. I actually did it for the fun of it. It was kinda like me just experimenting because I knew I could sing, but no one knew me then, so I wanted to just have fun with it. But it didn’t feel like a properly written song, so I actually took a break after this song because I wanted to work on my writing before officially releasing again in 2019.

NTS: Were these artists’ early influences/inspirations?

Merry-Lynn: Very much so. Even now, I can still kinda hear the influences in my music.

NTS: What year did you finish uni?

Merry-Lynn: I would say officially 2021 because of COVID.

NTS: Oh, this means your debut EP, which was released in 2019, was finished while you were still in uni?

Merry-Lynn: Yeah, but I released it while my school was on strike (laughs) because I don’t think I would’ve been able to do that with school still in session.

NTS: Your debut EP ‘Petrichor‘ is a blend of R&B and reggae. What inspired the project?

Merry-Lynn: Heartbreak! (laughs) I think at the time I was still trying to figure out my sound. I was kinda indecisive. I wanted to create something different, something soulful. So the inspiration was a blend of a broken heart and me trying to create a unique sound for myself with the help of my 2 friends, Veen and Kiienka. These friends have been instrumental in my career to this point.

NTS: Hmm, wow, that’s very important, having people believe in you.

Merry-Lynn: Ah yes, very true because like I said, I knew I could sing but I didn’t know how to take that leap into the industry. So my friends were really the big push I needed.

NTS: Making songs with a lot of emotion and soul would require a lot of uniqueness. How do you maintain this uniqueness?

Merry-Lynn: By feeling my emotions all the time. I never run away from my feelings; I face them head-on. I feel that’s the best way. I put my emotions into lyrics and make it into a song; that’s how I express myself.

NTS: How do you navigate being a neo-soul singer in Nigeria where Afrobeat and Afropop are like the popular genres at the moment?

Merry-Lynn: I have to constantly remind myself that my people are out there who believe in what I do, even if I don’t have them in millions. I know they are out there. So regardless, I always tell myself that, ‘Your crowd is out there.’

NTS: Moving on from 2019, in 2021, you released a track called “Runaway,” which is currently your highest-streamed single. Did you ever expect this song to be your biggest?

Merry-Lynn: Funny how that’s my least favorite song! (laughs) This song was meant to be on my EP in 2019, but I didn’t like the song. However, in 2021, during the lockdown, I took a break because I fell ill and couldn’t make any music. So, it was like a whole silver lining for me. My team was like, ‘Yo, we actually have this song in the vault we can drop,’ which happens to be ‘Runaway.’ And we just decided to drop it, and people loved it.

NTS: If that’s your least favorite song, then what’s your favorite song off your catalog?
Merry-Lynn: That’s a good question. I think ‘Love Rain.’ I know it’s recent, but ‘Love Rain’ would be my favorite.

NTS: You featured Tim Lyre on this track, which is on your latest project ‘Mixed Signals‘. How did that come about?

Merry-Lynn: I met Tim in 2021. I performed at one of his shows, so it was easy for me to text him like, ‘Hey, I have something I feel you’ll do great on,’ and he was like, ‘Okay,’ and then he sent back his verse in like an hour.

NTS: This story seems very familiar, where an artist records a song then doesn’t drop it for some reason, and when it eventually drops, it turns out to be one of their biggest songs?

Merry-Lynn: It’s actually very funny and kinda ridiculous to me. I guess you can’t really tell what people may like; everybody has their own way of relating to music.

NTS: As an independent artist in Nigeria, what are some of the challenges you face in the industry, and how do you overcome them?

Merry-Lynn: One of the challenges is finding support from people who see the vision, even financially. I overcome them mostly with the support I get from my friends. I have a manager who sees the vision, so even when I feel discouraged, he’s there to support me, even financially. My friends support me in many ways. Some of my songs were produced by my friends, like my friend Jess Eta helped produce ‘Mixed Signals,’ so support from friends has really been helpful in overcoming some issues as an independent artist.

NTS: What impact do you hope your music has on listeners/fans?

Merry-Lynn: I just want people to relate to what I’m singing, I don’t want people to feel stupid for having feelings. I want people to feel softened and feel their feelings when they listen.

NTS: When you make a project, do you have a specific theme for it, or do you just make random songs?

Merry-Lynn: I like to make it about the emotions I’m feeling atm, but sometimes they can bend so I mean you can have a theme but it’s not compulsory. I can also just be artistic and not really think too much about it.

NTS: Do you have any upcoming collab/features with anyone?

Merry-Lynn: I actually do have some features but I don’t know if it’s gonna drop cause it depends on the other artist but I have one with this amazing artist ‘Lobi’ and another one with ‘Pheamous’. I really don’t like talking about upcoming projects cause I don’t want people to feel I’m a liar when it doesn’t eventually drop lol.

NTS: Who are the top 5 artists on your playlist right now?

Merry-Lynn: Hmm, right now I’ve been listening to Destroy Lonely, Playboi Carti, Ken Carson. I have a whole playlist I named ‘Vamp’ that I listen to when doing house chores.

NTS: So, let’s call artist number one ‘Opium’?

Merry-Lynn: Oh, okay, yes we can (hahaha).

NTS: Who else do we have on this list, it remains 4 names?

Merry-Lynn: I would say; Ama Lou, Greentea Peng, Troye Sivan and Amaarae. I love Amaarae; she makes me feel very sexy.

NTS: That’s a pretty good list and very diverse too. Amaarae and Opium are like two different worlds

Merry-Lynn: Yeah, for now, I’m listening to varieties, but sometimes I get stuck on a loop listening to the same type of music lol.

NTS: So lastly what advice would you give to young independent artists like yourself who are still figuring all this out?

Merry-Lynn: I would say, you don’t have to figure it all out yet don’t give up and don’t let people change the vision you have for yourself, be grateful. Just wake up and do your thing do it for your future self, keep pushing, you can’t let your plans and dreams die. Someone out there needs your music, it doesn’t have to be perfect.