TEI SHI NEW ALBUM MAKE BELIEVE I MAKE BELIEVE OUT AUGUST 29TH

Cross-cultural Pop visionary Tei Shi (pronounced “tay-shee”) is the compelling artistic persona of Colombian-Canadian singer-songwriter and producer Valerie Teicher Barbosa. Her music embodies the fluidity of cultural borders, seamlessly weaving together her Latin roots with contemporary indie-pop sophistication—a sonic reflection of her formative years split between Bogotá, Colombia, and Vancouver, Canada.

Since her breakthrough debut EPs Saudade (2013) and Verde (2015), Tei Shi has established herself as a genre-defying force in contemporary music. Her signature track “Basically” amassed over 21 million streams on Spotify alone, propelling her critically acclaimed debut album Crawl Space (2017) to international recognition and launching extensive world tours that positioned her at the intersection of music, art, and fashion.

Her evolution continued with La Linda (2019), where she boldly embraced her multicultural identity, fluidly transitioning between English and Spanish while exploring the full spectrum of her artistic heritage. This fearless approach to bilingual songwriting has become her trademark, offering authentic cross-cultural appeal that resonates across linguistic and geographical boundaries.

Tei Shi’s collaboration credentials are equally impressive—she co-wrote and featured on Blood Orange‘s “Hope” from the acclaimed album Negro Swan, sharing screen time with Tyler, The Creator and A$AP Rocky in the accompanying music video, and performing the track at Coachella 2019. Her pandemic-era EP Die 4 Ur Love (2020) showcased her adaptability and creative resilience, while her third album Valerie (2024) further cemented her status as a bilingual pop innovator.

Now, with her fourth independent LP Make believe I make believe slated for August 2025, Tei Shi continues to push artistic boundaries. The album’s lead single “Best Be Leaving” offers a deeply personal and introspective exploration of letting go, while “Drop Dead” delivers an unapologetically honest anthem that showcases her evolved artistry. The magnetic summer track “222” promises to further demonstrate her sonic versatility.

Tei Shi represents the future of pop music—an artist who refuses to be confined by traditional genre boundaries or linguistic limitations, instead creating a sound that speaks to the globally connected, culturally fluid generation that defines contemporary music culture. Her authentic bilingual artistry and proven commercial appeal make her an essential voice in today’s diverse musical landscape.

“My fourth album, ‘Make believe I make believe’ musically marks a moment in my life where I was closing the door on much of the sadness and anger of my past, and allowing myself to give into joy, fun and hope.

I wrote and recorded Make believe I make believe over the course of a week last fall with my friends & collaborators Noah Beresin and Tommy English in the woods of Vancouver Island, Canada. With the support of the British Columbia provincial government through a grant, I was able to book out an amazing studio for a week where we worked and stayed.

Because of the grant, I was beckoned back to BC, where I grew up (in part) to make this album. Being brought back home to create something was a very new experience for me, and I spent time on either end of the trip seeing family and old friends. Inevitably, a lot of memories and feelings came up from revisiting the place where so much of my formative life took place. The emotions this fueled were very much bubbling up in me by the time I got into the studio with Noah and Tommy.

We were isolated and removed from any distractions, but surrounded by lush BC forest, the Pacific Ocean, and the towering mountains of The Rockies. The fall was just hitting its peak and the setting was so beautiful, refreshing and surreal. The songs that came out of that week were deeply influenced by the nature and the air of fall.

There are the more somber and melancholy tracks like Best be Leaving and Which Half? but ultimately the album reflects the opportunity I had to fully relax and prioritize ease and fun in the process of creating an album. I think a much more playful and joyful part of me comes through on this album, one I’m not sure I have really expressed very much through my music in the past.” – TEI SHI

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