The Nigerian music industry’s preoccupation with feel good, buzzy music often acts a foil for the industry’s dark underbelly and the pressure that young creatives feel in their quest to find relevance and an audience that truly connects with them for their craft. It is a shame that these stories are often never told and at The Native, we want to promote music and artists that take a step back from the race and tell nuanced stories with their music. Joyce Olong, singer and producer whose debut single “Shekels” under Olma Records set her apart as one to watch is stepping up to the plate with “Stay another day”.

Decided to share a combination of short notes i wrote myself over the years to express and cope with this thing called depression

For Joyce Olong, the new single is a confessional of sorts, an admission that she has personally struggled with depression for the last few years and is now ready to speak publicly on her own experience. The instrumentation is sparse, as is her signature, and she is articulate as ever, conjuring start images of the cycle of avoidance, self denial and self harm that many peoples struggling with depression are routed through. But “Stay another day” is ultimately a positive song, Olong’s way of saying she sees you, and she understands.

Listen to “Stay another day” here.

Edwin eats his rice and cabbages. Tweet at him @edgothboy

Listen to Joyce Olong’s “Shekels” here