Teni

Nigerian singer-songwriter Teni crafts uplifting tracks that blend multiple styles and set her apart from other figures in Afro-pop. Breakthrough arrived in 2018 when tracks such as “Case” drew millions of streams, paving the way for her first EP, Billionaire, in 2019 and the full-length WONDALAND two years later. For her second album, TEARS OF THE SUN, released in 2023, she launched her own imprint, Sugar Mummy Records.

Born Teniola Apata into a household that prioritized schooling while nurturing musical interests early on, she grew up alongside her older sister, Afro-house singer Niniola. After attending the Lagos institution operated by her parents, she pursued a business-administration degree at American Intercontinental University in Atlanta and subsequently shifted focus to music full time.

Her recording career began with the 2016 single “Amen” on Magic Fingers Records. The move to Dr Dolor Entertainment the next year brought wider exposure via “Fargin,” followed in 2018 by mainstream successes including “Case” and “Uyo Meyo.” Billionaire, her debut EP, appeared in 2019, earning her nominations for a BET Award for Best New International Act and an MTV Europe Music Award for Best African Act. Remaining with Dr Dolor, she joined DJ Neptune for the 2020 release The Quarantine Playlist EP.

WONDALAND, her first album, took shape with contributions from more than half a dozen producers across sessions in New York City, London, Abuja, and additional cities worldwide before its March 2021 arrival on Dr Dolor. Among its singles, the duet “For You” featured Davido. Her follow-up, TEARS OF THE SUN, issued late in 2023 on Sugar Mummy Records, included work with rapper ODUMODUBLVCK and Made Kuti, grandson of Fela.