Ghana’s OliveTheBoy lands Sony deal

The announcement arrives on the heels of the artist’s inclusion in Apple Music’s Up Next artist development programme, following the recent viral success of his breakthrough single ‘Goodsin’.

“‘Goodsin’ came with good news,” the musician said on 9 August. “Thrilled to announce my signing with the Sony family.”

The deal, whose details will be made public during an unveiling ceremony on 16 August in the capital Accra, is expected to bring OliveTheBoy to international notice while highlighting the increasing opportunities for African artists.

Born Joel Osei Bonsu, the singer’s craft is characterised by a fusion of multiple influences, most notably Afropop and R&B. He is behind 2023’s Avana EP.

Last year, Sony Music West Africa head of operations Oluwaseun ‘Banko’ Lloyd told Music In Africa that the company’s success in the sub-region stemmed from its comprehensive understanding of the local market and artistic community.

“When we first started, we noticed that for the local artist community to understand us more and for us to understand them, we had to go via local independents,” he said.

“We’ve been able to penetrate the market that way, and now we’re beginning to expand and doing a lot more. We’re hoping that they’ll see our business and trust us. That’s what we have in our approach, where we work with local expertise to be able to unlock the artist.”