 At twenty-one Ayọ moved to London and later lived in Paris and New York City.During her time in Paris her musical talent was noticed by a broader audience, and she gave her first solo concerts, opened 2002 for soul singers Omar and Cody Chesnutt, and signed a contract with Polydor Records.Shortly after giving birth to her son Nile, she recorded her first album "Joyful" in January 2006 in the New York Sony studio.