Teni rules, and here’s the proof
Sultry and sunny African pop hits that’ll always lift you up.
Who are they?
Name: Teniola Apata a.k.a Teni a.k.a Teni the Entertainer a.k.a Teni Makanaki
Style: The singer and songwriter makes sultry and sunny African pop hits that'll always lift you up.
Location: Atlanta, Georgia via Lagos, Nigeria
Why should I listen?
Teni's voice is amazing! The singer, younger sister of Nigerian pop star Niniola, makes her own catchy pop songs that're designed to lift you up, her honeyed voice skimming and swimming through sunny production from the likes of Spellz and her regular collaborator Jaysynths. Her early single, late 2017's "Fargin," was the first to catch wide attention, letting her shine as an artist in her own right, and later as a songwriter as well, penning her own tracks and others's (a notable one being Davido's "Like Dat"). Eventually, she'd sign to Nigerian producer Shizzi's record label, and later release music through the Atlanta and Nigeria-based Dr Dolor Entertainment.
2018's been an exciting year for her, as she's lowkey dropped several catchy ass singles. My favorite's this summer's extremely addicting and extremely danceable "Askamaya." Other notable ones are the Nigerian World Cup kit craze-inspired track "Fake Jersey," and last month's slow-rocking, Joni Mitchell-sampling "Rambo." The latter track's a gas yourself up doozy, perfect for those wake-up-and-hype-yourself-in-the-mirror moments. She's dropping two new songs tomorrow, and I'm sure they're going to go.