Tay Iwar Returns with New Single "Say My Name"

Tay Iwar is back. On May 8, the Nigerian R&B auteur released "Say My Name," his first new single of 2026 and the opening salvo in what is shaping up to be his most ambitious year yet. The record arrives on Benin City Entertainment and is available now across all streaming platforms.

"Say My Name" is, in many ways, a quintessential Tay Iwar record — atmospheric, sensual, written with the kind of lyrical specificity that turns small moments into universal feelings. But it also marks an evolution. The production is more confident, the arrangement more spacious, the vocal performance more direct. Where past releases hinted at restraint, "Say My Name" leans in and lets the listener sit inside the song.

"This one came from a real place," Tay Iwar says of the single. "It's about wanting to be seen for who you really are by the person across from you — not the version of you that's easier to deal with. It's a love song, but it's also a request."

The single follows a remarkable run of work from the artist. His 2025 EP Wonderful was widely cited as one of the most cohesive African R&B projects of the year, his Lagos Encore Concert headline performance proved he can command a room as well as he can fill one, and "Sex on the Beach" cemented his lane at the intersection of atmospheric R&B and African soul.

"Say My Name" continues that arc while opening a new door. Insiders close to the project hint at a larger body of work later this year — one that will see Tay Iwar push further into the cinematic, genre-blurring sound he has been quietly perfecting for years.

For Benin City Entertainment, the release reinforces the label's commitment to artist-first development. "Tay is one of the most singular voices we work with," a label representative said. "Our job is to give him the runway. He does the rest."

Stream "Say My Name" now on all platforms.