Nigerian R&B and Afro-Pop artist Tolani is back, and she’s switching things up. After taking some time to reflect and recharge, she’s launching a raw and refreshingly honest new music series called ‘SHT I NVR FINISHED’ – dropping one deeply personal track every seven days for 8 weeks – all on SoundCloud and her socials.
Timed to coincide with Mental Health Awareness Month, this series is more than just music—it’s a creative deep dive into vulnerability, growth, and the messy magic of being a work in progress. Each song feels like a page torn from Tolani’s diary, inviting fans to experience the moments she never quite let go of.
‘SHT I NVR FINISHED’ is bold, intimate, and a little bit unfinished. Just like all of us, and that’s exactly the point. Tolani describes the series as “a challenge to my own reserved nature but also a love song to all the creatives I’ve worked with who’ve never had their art take flight.” In her announcement video, Tolani shares that the series is also a thank-you, a heartfelt gesture, to the people who’ve held her down.
“My family, friends, managers… the people that believed in me more than I believed in myself sometimes.” At the heart of it all is her belief that “art is art because it is seen & heard”. With this project, she’s turning vulnerability into connection and turning unfinished work into meaningful moments with her fans.
Each snippet of the series is a sonic time capsule, taken from Tolani’s vault of unfinished material. Expect lush melodies, rhythmic Afrobeat grooves, and a fusion of R&B and Pop that she delivers with her signature sultry tone. The songs balance mid-tempo moods with deep-feeling lyrics, creating space for both reflection and release.
Tolani invites fans and media alike to join in this unprecedented musical journey, sharing feedback weekly and becoming a part of the community shaping the future of her sound.
About Tolani
Born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria. Tolani was surrounded by music from a young age. Her father’s eclectic taste in music introduced her to a diverse range of artists from Fela to Sade, influencing her own love for music. From as long as she could remember, she says music was a “safe & happy place”, and she found every excuse to sing, whether in school choirs, church performances, or at home in her room.
Initially pursuing Psychology at university, Tolani’s enduring love for music led her to study at a music college in West London, where she formed a small band and began writing and performing her own songs. Her debut single, ‘Tenderoni‘, dropped in 2017, but it was her breakout track ‘Ba Mi Lo‘ featuring Reekado Banks that truly put her on the map. Since then, she’s racked up over 16 million lifetime streams, built a loyal online community, and never stopped evolving.
Her two latest singles, ‘I Believe‘ and ‘Crybaby‘, have collectively garnered nearly 2.5 million views on YouTube, and her multiple performances on various acclaimed stages – Rhythm Unplugged and Palmwine Festival, to name a few – have only added to her growing rep as an artist to watch.
She’s been featured in Okay Africa, Sound City, BellaNaija, CNN, and more, earning praise for her emotional honesty and intimate storytelling. Tolani’s music lives in the sweet spot between softness and strength. With every lyric, she reminds us that there’s beauty in being open. Her mission is simple yet profound: to create music that listeners instinctively recognise and deeply relate to, bridging emotional distances through shared experiences.
