AFROBEATS STAR TEKNO SHARES “ADAEZE” VIDEO
Nigerian afropop star Tekno follows Friday’s release of his latest album, Where Did Love Go? (emPawa Africa), with the project’s first video — for standout single “Adaeze.” Tekno self-directed and choreographed the “Adaeze” video, which was shot in Paris during his recent visit to the French capital for Paris Fashion Week.
Adaeze is an Igbo word for princess, and the track and video find Tekno smooth talking his way back into the good graces of his love interest, or adaeze. D’Meek and Justopac are the producers of the song, which finds Tekno at his most vulnerable, reflecting on the frustration and uncertainty of loving someone who has suddenly grown distant.
The “Adaeze” video also puts an emphasis on Tekno’s distinctive dance style, a mix of Nigerian street dance and Michael Jackson-inspired moves which have been a staple of his videos since he first emerged a decade back with hits like “Duro” and “Pana.”
Released July 3, Where Did Love Go? (LISTEN HERE) also includes the singles “Bamboo,” “Press Button,” and “Matter.” The eight-track project is Tekno’s third album, and his first since joining Mr Eazi’s groundbreaking independent music company emPawa Africa as an artist and investor. Largely self-produced, the project is Tekno’s most personal yet, with a renewed focus on romance and reflection, alongside the trademark hooks and melodies that have helped Tekno’s songs cross continents and language barriers to receive universal acclaim.
The music on Where Did Love Go? represents a return to form for Tekno, who helped set the tone for the rise of Afrobeats with his breakthrough hit “Pana,” a track that defined the pon-pon sound that helped fuel Afrobeats’ global crossover in the mid-to-late 2010s. Tekno’s story goes well beyond Afrobeats, and his own music, however. He wrote and produced the song that made Davido a global superstar. Billie Eilish has called him her favorite artist. Beyoncé, Drake and Ciara have tapped him for collaborations. Sir Elton John endorsed his music on his Rocket Hour program on Apple Music. Then, he disappeared—a victim of a rare medical condition that robbed him of his voice and health, forcing him to sit on the sidelines as the genre he helped build and popularize was exploding worldwide. Although he later recovered from his illness and regained his vocals with the aid of an experimental surgery, Tekno has remained an enigma, his story little known to the world, even as his songs continue to reverberate around the world.
Tekno, whose production and songwriting credits also include Kizz Daniel’s pan-African anthem “Buga (Lo Lo)” and Ciara’s “Freak Me,” produced half of the songs on Where Did Love Go? himself, collaborating with fellow producers Yung Willis, D’Meek, Justopac, and Tino on the remaining tracks to create a sound that blends Afrobeats, Afropop, and dancehall influences with his signature melodic touch.
Exploring romance from multiple angles, Where Did Love Go? is a reminder of why Tekno remains one of Afrobeats’ most compelling voices and a master of translating everyday emotions into records that resonate far beyond the dancefloor.
CONNECT WITH TEKNO:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tekno
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@