A concise recap on how Teni has consistently shown determination and drive to stand out.
Against all odd that On the surface, there weren’t many factors that sold her off as a mainstay, She was often berated for her looks, but she consistently showed determination and drive to stand out.
To grow into the music which dominates today is to be a participator in the trade of sound.
Teniola Apata was raised in Lagos, she moved to the U.S. for college, after seven years of distracted undergraduate studies, she earned a degree in Business Administration from American Intercontinental University in Atlanta in 2018.
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As a student, she’d often take trips to New York City to make music with her preferred collaborators.
Teni would go on to write what is popularly considered one of the best songs of Davido’s career ‘Like Dat’ she signed on to Nigerian producer Shizzi ‘Magic Fingers Records’ she left the label and signed to Dr. Dolor Entertainment, a partnership she has described as ‘flexible’.
Before Teni released her debut album ‘WONDALAND,’ her songs were already satisfying legions of audiences across the continent.
From debut single “Fargin” to her breakout “Askamaya” and later singles such as “Jo,” the Afropop singer has consistently shown her determination and drive to stand out from the crowd.
No stranger to positioning herself to be adjacent to the hottest sounds, the singer released her debut to incredible fanfare.
On ‘WONDALAND,’ Teni set out to capture Disney World’s euphoria on an airy collection of inspired Afropop that swirls and uplifts.
Amid electronic production by Afrobeats wizards like Ozedikus (Rema’s “Dumebi”) and P. Priime (Olamide’s “Infinity”) are live talking drums, guitar, bass, and horns.
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On the single, “For You,” keys twinkle over steady percussion as Teni coos (and Nigerian pop star Davido yelps) about affection.
The song is mostly performed in pidgin, an English-based creole spoken across Nigeria and West Africa.
On the album, Teni also sings in Yoruba and its Ondo dialect, both Nigerian ethnic tongues. English is used sparsely, and she’s not worried about that hindering any Western crossover
WONDALAND’ was replete with imagery and allegory alluding to the singer’s love for amusement parks and enjoyment.
The immersive world she created with the album has only earned her a growing presence online.
Now, the singer is expanding the world around her debut a step further with the release of the futuristic new video for standout single, “Moslado.”
The Alien-directed video finds the singer performing her verse in true ’90s VHS video style as it zooms in and out of her frame.
“Abeggi make I no dey vex o/and if I talk, omo na threat o/and I no go show no mercy o”, she sings over the Ozedikus-produced beat as she up talks herself and drowns out the naysayers.
As the song builds and her lyrics become more braggadocious, Teni can be seen donning different looks and hairstyles, all determined to show off her groovy style and her inspiringly firm sense of self.
in conclusion, Teni is at the top of the Nigerian music industry, easily among the top 10 female acts.