WWYD? Probably Play Joyce Olong on Repeat

Afro-indie artist Joyce Olong doesn’t create music for the algorithm; she creates it for the moment. Her sound isn’t loud, but it lingers in your thoughts for hours after you’ve heard it, much like a half-remembered dream. 

With SOSEO, her latest project, she’s building a sanctuary with her music, moving with an intentional softness that still manages to cut deep, and we were able to catch up with her to talk about it.

Peniel: Joyce, it’s nice to meet you. I only found out yesterday I’d be interviewing you, so I had to go listen to your music, catch up, and see what you’re doing. I saw you released a project recently?

Joyce: Yes, I did.

Peniel: I couldn’t stop playing WWYD?. If you check my X page, I posted about how I can’t stop playing that song. The melody, the vibe—it’s going!. I like that song. I like the whole project.

Joyce: Thank you. That’s really sweet.

Peniel: It’s a solid project. While I was going through your Instagram, I saw that back in January 2024, you were the face of Afro Indie on Spotify, right?

Joyce: Yeah, I was, for  my song DIIISAPPEAR at that time.

Peniel: Yeah. And I thought to myself, “Afro Indie?” We know there are many sub-branches of Afrobeats or the Afro sound, but Afro Indie? What does that mean to you?

Joyce: An Afro Indie artist… To me, “Indie” means freedom—the freedom to express however you want. You’re your own boss.

Peniel: Interesting. Who were you listening to while growing up?

Joyce: Oh, a lot of music. My whole family had different tastes. My dad listened to reggae, then Gregorian chants, and even pop from the ’50s. My mom played Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, and Shania Twain. Then there was the extended family—Makossa, hip hop, reggaeton. So, I grew up around a lot of sounds.

Peniel: That’s a wide spectrum. But was there any one artist that you personally loved—someone who influenced how you sing or create music today?

Joyce: Oh my—yes. I was obsessed with Lauryn Hill growing up. Also, a little bit of John Legend, Sade, Asa… and a lot of rap.

Penie: That’s a great list. Legends, really. Let’s talk about your album. How do you pronounce it? SO-SEO, right?

Joyce: SO-SEO, yes.

Peniel: What does SOSEO mean?

Joyce: It means the heat before the main season, like that spring heat before summer. For me, it also represents the first harvest. You clear the garden and look at what you’ve grown—how well you’ve tended to your trees. It felt like an offering.

Peniel: Did the name come from something personal?

Joyce: Funny thing is—it just came out of nowhere. I said it one day and thought, “This feels like the word.” Then I Googled it and read up on what I had just said. That’s how it happened.

Peniel: Where did you make most of the songs? I saw a clip of you recording in Ghana. What’s it about Ghana?

Joyce: All of the songs were written in Lagos, where I’m speaking to you from now. Some were from 2023. I actually lost a few of them and had to redo them. That took some time—I had to step away and return to the feeling. I recorded everything here, but Ghana felt like the right place to finish the work. The pacing is different. Life there feels like being in a quiet bomb. It’s peaceful. The colors, the typography—the energy is different from Lagos. It helped me find balance.

Peniel: Let’s talk about some of the songs I mentioned I love—WWYD?, Fool Me Once, and Everybody’s Outside. Let’s start with WWYD? It’s a flirty one. How did that come about?

Joyce: Ouu, that one? It started as just a guitar song, but I got tired of doing just guitar stuff. I wanted to sing for a babe—but like, as a bad boy. So I imagined sitting and watching her dance, waist beads moving. I thought—what would I say to her? How playful can I be, but also serious? That’s the energy.

Peniel: Everybody’s Outside feels very different. I think I saw someone post calling it  the “song of the summer.”?

Joyce: I saw that too—so nice. But yeah, that song is personal. I’m mostly inside. I only step out when I think, “Okay, I should be here,” or just breathe fresh air. My guy used to tease me—”You’re saying you want money, but you’re not outside.” He’d say, “Everybody’s outside, but we never see you.” So I turned that into a song.

Peniel: I know Right? Everyone has to be outside. Which song on the project would you most love to perform right now?

Joyce: All of them would be nice, but I really enjoy performing DIIISAPPEAR.

Peniel: I think it’s your biggest song in terms of streaming, right?

Joyce: Yeah, it is. It’s a really good record. The producer sent it to me, and the effect was instant. We knew we had to release it.

Peniel: Do you play any instruments?

Joyce: Yes—Keyboard. And sometimes, the saxophone.

Peniel: Do you ever perform with them on stage?

Joyce: Lately, it’s just been me and the mic. I kind of don’t like being behind the Keyboard for now. Maybe later, when I’m tired, or for a specific part of a show. But I’d like to incorporate it more.

Peniel: With Afro sounds becoming more global and more subgenres emerging, do you think that growth will continue, or is there something that needs to change?

Joyce: I think it’s going far now because all of us have been feeding the roots. It’s a huge tree, and we’ve been watering it. People are putting in their 10,000 hours. With the right people, it’ll definitely go further.

Peniel: I agree. I also feel like that growth needs to be felt locally, like with proper recognition. For example, The Headies have an “Alternative” category, but it feels like everything outside of Afrobeats gets thrown into it. It’s vague.

Joyce: Definitely. People are still doing rock, or pure R&B, or fusing Afro in unique ways—but they’re all just labeled “Alternative.” There should be more branches.

Peniel: How long have you been making music?

Joyce: Professionally? Since around 2017 or 2018. I was still learning. I wanted to come in as just a writer and producer. I really love producing. I just tried to do what I could do—learning so many things, and then using them. It kind of just happened. I don’t think I was fully in control of it.

Peniel: I’m glad you did, ’cause like I said—the music is going! Hahaha. Which female artists do you want to work with in Nigeria?

Joyce: In Nigeria? I like Lady Donli.

Peniel: Yeah, I see the vibe. I can really see that music happening.

Joyce: She’s pretty cool. I enjoy her music. I also like DUNNIE’s production. Honestly, I feel like everyone has something unique. I like to work with people based on their dominant side—whether they’re more of a producer or an artist. There’s Baaba J, she’s from Ghana. I also like Esoterica—she’s a fantastic writer and artist. And there’s this lady, Azümi—beautiful music. She’s Nigerian, too. There are a bunch of people I’d love to work with, honestly.

Peniel: Yeah, Lady Donli is amazing. I think I’ve heard Dunnie’s music too. You’ve made music with someone I really like though—Solis?

Joyce: Yes! Is it “Good Good”?

Peniel: Yeah, “Good Good”—I love that jam.

Peniel: Why did you come back to Nigeria? Was it purely for the music?

Joyce: I came back because, honestly, I wasn’t really in control of any of my movements. Even now, I just move according to how the universe leads me—so long as I’m safe, but really I felt like I needed to be home. I left when I was too young, and as I became an adult, I felt like I needed to be back to find the right path, to learn things, especially discipline.

Peniel: So when you came back, did you notice any difference? Was it better or worse than you expected?

Joyce: It felt like you had to work really hard. Everything here is kind of designed to make you trip, so you have to find your way through the chaos. But I also believe if there’s somewhere you really want to get to, sometimes you have to come home to find your way—whether it’s out of something or into who you’re becoming.

Peniel: Exactly. I feel like the kind of music you make, you need to be grounded. You have to be somewhere that inspires you.

Peniel: So, if someone is just discovering your music through this new project, what song should they start with?

Joyce: I’d say start from the beginning. Honestly.

Peniel: Me, I’d say “WWYD?” hahaha

Joyce: True! For people who want something immediate—yes, go straight to “WWYD?”. If you want something really sweet, maybe delay it a little. Or if you want something bright, go for “Everybody’s Outside.” But the whole thing is a story—it’s like a pink point of view of Nigeria. So, please, just start from the beginning. I literally call you a sweetheart. Start from the beginning.

Peniel: We’ve spoken about being an alt-Afro artist in Nigeria. Do you think there’s growing space for Afro-indie artists in Nigeria, or is it still very niche?

Joyce: Let’s manifest a growing space for Afro-indie in Africa. There are so many artists doing incredible things across the board. Here, I think we’re evolving fast, and the system has to catch up to the people and the artists. Artists are evolving too, and things can be packaged differently. I think people are already doing that, little by little—building their own niches and small communities.

Peniel: Yes! People are merging different genres—Afro-rage, Afro-rock. A lot of artists now aren’t thinking about genres, they’re just making music.

Joyce: Exactly. That’s literally what we’re doing. That’s why awards are getting harder—they now have to cater to the people. But let’s see how things unfold. I really don’t know how all that works.

Peniel: What’s something you learned about yourself while making this project?

Joyce: Patience and trust.

Peniel: Why those two?

Joyce: I used to think I knew how to wait, but I’d still get impatient even after waiting. I had to learn to pace myself. Also, to let go. You can’t control everything—you’ve done your part, now let someone else take over. I learned to yield, pay more attention, and have courage. I was praying for courage throughout the whole process.

Peniel: So it wasn’t just about the music—you were also learning and teaching yourself in the process?

Joyce: Yes, absolutely.

Peniel: What do you hope people feel when they listen to SOSEO?

Joyce: I want them to feel like they’re in their happy place—a safe space. A warm, open place where you’re allowed to grow. I’m growing in real time too. There’s a plan, but we’re learning as we go. It’s a space for vulnerability—I’m letting people watch me grow.

Peniel: For your next chapter, what are you manifesting?

Joyce: I’d love to get sync placements—for movies, especially. I want the freedom to create whatever kind of music I want—ambient, drums, anything. I want to experiment more, perform more, and make music and money all over the world.

Peniel: What’s one place you’d love to perform?

Joyce: I don’t know. Somewhere legendary—where the greats have performed, like Miriam Makeba. Just a classy, elite space. Somewhere, live music truly lives.

Peniel: And for anyone out there trying to create their own lane, not mainstream, but still want to be successful, what advice would you give?

Joyce: Just do it. There are no rules, fortunately and unfortunately. Do your best and keep going. Visibility is the currency now. So, just do it.

Peniel: “Just do it” might sound cliché, but it’s really the only thing you can do—just get to work.

Joyce: Exactly. Try your best. Connect. Be outside—you have to be outside.

Joyce Olong’s album is out now, and it’s one of the best releases in the past month! Stream it on all platforms, you won’t regret it!