Following a string of hit singles, one of the most unique and exciting voices on the scene Teni is back with her hotly anticipated new album TEARS OF THE SUN.
The 16-track LP sees the Afro-pop star expanding her sound in celebratory style, from the feelgood anthem ‘LANKE’ produced by the award-winning Blaisebeatz (Wizkid, Davido, Asake, Ty Dolla Sign), to the megahit ‘NO DAYS OFF’, which is already approaching four million streams and named one of Rolling Stone’s Best Songs of 2023 So Far.
Elsewhere, album opener and focus track ‘YBGFA (Young Black Girl From Africa)’ is a moving autobiographical tale of Teni’s roots, setting the tone for the LP with delicate piano and sublime vocal melodies.
Alongside Teni’s stunning vocal talents, sunny funk guitars and blissed-out synth arrangements fill out TEARS OF THE SUN, an album which ranges from sultry numbers like ‘DEVIL DANCE’, to uptempo dance tunes like ‘CONTROL’ and recent single ‘MALAIKA’, and moving ballads like atmospheric album closer ‘HOW’. Boasting production credits from the likes of Blaisebeats, Rymez, Debonair Dessy, Kukbeat, Yung Willis, Extremebetz and many more, this is a sprawling masterpiece of uplifting Afropop.
“Life is a beautiful journey of ups, downs, highs and lows, however in the midst of all of it, I’m grateful to be a vessel in this world”, Teni says. “TEARS OF THE SUN has taught me about life and has brought many blessings. Life is for the living, people come and people go but remember your time around the sun will surely come, and mine is here and here to stay.”
Teni’s new release campaign follows the success of last year’s ‘MAITAMA (Going)’, a head-turning collaboration with Mayorkun, Ch’cco and the late Costa Titch, and a recent rework of Bob Marley & The Wailers classic ‘Three Little Birds’ with Oxlade. Earlier this year, Teni also made her debut on COLORS, featured on Stormzy’s latest album This Is What I Mean and has previously collaborated with Wizkid and Davido.
Teni is known for uplifting, stylistically eclectic songs that stand apart from her Afro-pop contemporaries. She first came to prominence in 2018, when a series of songs including ‘Case’ found a streaming audience numbering in the millions. Her debut EP, Billionaire, followed in 2019.
The same year she was nominated for a BET Award for Best New International Act and an MTV Europe Music Award for Best African Act, before teaming up with DJ Neptune on the next year’s The Quarantine Playlist EP. Teni’s acclaimed LP WONDALAND followed in 2021, with the star going independent that same year.
A stunning sophomore LP, TEARS OF THE SUN expands Teni’s sonic vision in blissed-out style, adding to her quickly growing discography of crowd-pleasing hits.
TEARS OF THE SUN – album tracklist
- YBGFA
- POPO
- CAPRICORN AND TAURUS
- JALINGO
- HOLY MATRIMONY
- LANKE
- YAYA TOURE
- BANGA
- CONTROL
- INÖ ft Made Kuti
- NO DAYS OFF
- DEVIL DANCE
- MALAIKA
- APATA
- MERCREDI ft TAYC
- HOW
