Tei Shi lets loose in new LP, ‘Make believe I make believe’

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During the autumn season, independent pop artist Tei Shi spent time in the wilderness of British Columbia for a creative getaway. This experience played a significant role in enabling her to regain artistic autonomy throughout her ten-year career.

On Friday, I’m thrilled to share with you my most heartfelt album yet, titled “Make Believe I Make Believe.” This is a 10-track masterpiece that I’m releasing independently under Tei Shi LLC and The Orchard. As a Canadian Colombian singer, I pour my deepest emotions into every note, making this a truly personal journey for me, and one I can’t wait to share with you.

In their statement, Tei Shi expresses that being back at home provides them with the opportunity to reconnect with loved ones, reminiscent friends, and work without any external influences, pressures, or bosses – essentially, no one telling them what to do. This tranquil setting allows them to immerse themselves deeply into their thoughts and feelings, unfettered.

A 35-year-old musician visited a seven-day getaway on Vancouver Island, Canada, accompanied by his long-term musical partners Noah Beresin (a key figure in the formation of the alternative hip-hop duo Chiddy Bang) and Tommy English (renowned for producing several of Børns’ successful tracks).

As a result, the collection proves to be incredibly adaptable, evoking a broad spectrum of emotions and encompassing sounds ranging from those reminiscent of Canada to modernized perreo,” she notes instead.

Ever since her debut in the music world with her initial EP “Saudade” in 2013 and the subsequent “Verde” EP in 2015, Tei Shi, whose true name is Valerie Teicher Barbosa, has been genre-fluid, effortlessly moving between dream pop, indie folk, and shoegaze.

In a fresh development, her fourth studio album, newly minted, builds upon the themes explored in “Valerie,” her debut independent project from 2024, following her departure from Downtown Records (a sub-label of Geffen) that left her with creative scars. Now self-governed in artistic expression, freed from the constraints of mainstream music industry expectations, this change empowers Tei Shi to compose and release songs in both English and Spanish languages.

This time, the artist embraces her multicultural background more than ever, playfully blending elements from her childhood in Vancouver’s hilly landscape and her love for melancholic Latin ballads into a unique musical style she calls “Canadianatón.

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She delves deeper into the rough, neo-perreo genre with captivating songs such as “222,” featuring Loyal Lobos, and the catchy, synth-infused tune “Don’t Cry.” In contrast, Tei Shi’s delicate vocals gently hover above a seductive bolero rhythm in “Aphrodite.

In the standout song “Montón,” a lively reggaeton number, the artist immerses herself in the spontaneous rhythms of love and desire.

According to Tei Shi, ‘Montón’ is a song that expresses the feeling of falling deeply for someone and surrendering to it. She visualizes it as a late-night moment with your significant other, spending hours alone in your room, dancing together while disregarding the rest of the world.

The Tei Shi album wouldn’t feel whole without the careful stacking of haunting rhythms, a trait that shines brightest in the lead single “Best Be Leaving,” which embodies the spirit of the iconic dream-pop group Cocteau Twins.

The “Basically” singer has announced plans for her upcoming U.S. headline tour, set to begin on September 26 at the Lodge Room in Los Angeles. Over the course of the tour, Tei Shi will perform in eleven other North American cities, including Washington D.C., New York, Chicago, Toronto, and others.

For full dates and ticket info, visit https://teishi.world/.

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2025-08-29 21:31