Teni’s on Top! Talks new album “Tears of the Sun”, love and what’s next for the rising star
Teni is on top! The Nigeran-born singer/song-writer has made waves in the music industry with her sound of Afro-beats and relatable lyrics will get anyone moving. Teni’s been busy with her latest release, 2023’s ‘Tears of the Sun‘, Teni describes the album “I wanted to just be about myself, and sing about myself, and what’s on my mind,” she tells Apple Music. “Also, there were things that the people in my life were also going through, like heartbreak. I used their experience to write music because obviously, when you love someone and they’re down, you’re down as well. When you’re down, they’re down as well. So this album is about how I was feeling.” Read our exclusive interview below.
Featured Interview:
TELL US ABOUT YOUR NEW ALBUM TEARS OF THE SUN
Tears Of The Sun is coming from a place of self expression of freedom, pain, love and heartbreak.
It’s an album that sees me get a bit personal and vulnerable like never before.
It’s a sonic fusion of experiences to tell the world where I am coming from, where I am at and where I’m heading to.
HOW DO YOU FEEL AFROBEATS AS A GENRE IS DISRUPTING THE CULTURE OF MUSIC
Afrobeats has always disrupted the culture of music, the world is now a global digital village thanks to modern technology. You can hear the foundations of afrobeat in your various genres of music from the instruments to the melodies. However it’s awesome to see the acceptance of the full genre on a global scale.
MALAIKA IS SMOOTH YET FIERY, WHERE DID INSPIRATION FOR THIS TRACK EMERGE FROM
This might sound funny but God is like my friend. He has always been there and I remember the producer, Genio was heading back to Lagos on the day we made this song. I had flown him to LA a few weeks back to make some music but we hadn’t done anything till then.
He played a random selection of beats and this stuck out and I was writing a love song to it and God just said ‘you, you are recording an album and you haven’t dedicated a song to me and that’s how the lyrics and everything came.
YOU HAVE MADE SOME DOPE COLLABS WITH THE LIKES OF PEOPLE LIKE WIZKID, DAVIDO and OXLADE + MORE. WHO ELSE WOULD YOU LOVE TO COLLAB WITH
This is an easy one, my sister, Niniola.
WHO ARE YOUR HEREOS
I will say Brenda Fassie is probably the biggest of them all. She is one of one. Musically sound, a big heart and a great personality, MaBrrr was such an inspiration.
WHAT IS LIFE LIKE GROWING UP IN NIGERIA AND HOW IMPORTANT WAS MUSIC TO YOU AS A CHILD
Life was actually fun especially growing up with different characters at home, school, church and society at large. It taught me a lot especially with music.
From hearing your neighbor from another tribe turn up her music on a Sunday morning to hearing people’s experiences, this definitely helped from songwriting to melodies and more.
NO DAYS OFF IS GOING OFF WITH STREAMS HOW DOES MAKE U FEEL KNOWING YOUR SONG WAS ONE OF BEST TRACKS OF 2023
It’s great to see. Not many will attempt making that track and releasing it as their first single from an album but I could just feel something was different from the moment the producer played the beat.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR STYLE
I will say Afro-pop with a fusion of different genres.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE YOUR 15 YEAR OLD SELF
All that you dreamed of will happen. It’ll take some patience and persistence. Don’t let anyone stop you.
WHAT SONG ARE YOU CURRENTLY OBSESSED WITH
‘Capricorn and Taurus’ off my new album.
WHAT OTHER AFROBEATS ARTISTS ARE YOU CURRENTLY OBSESSED WITH
All of them are equally great.
WHAT IS NEXT FOR YOU
So many plans that I can’t wait to share with the fans but for now, listen to TEARS OF THE SUN.
