Tei Shi has been through the ringer, yet she still delivers glistening pop gems. Her latest single "¿QUIÉN TE MANDA?," which was co-produced with former Chairlift member Patrick Wimberly and Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s Jake Portrait, nods to her struggles with the insidious music industry with Timbaland/Aaliyah vibes. She revealed that her upcoming EP BAD PREMONITION centers around how "the feeling of losing control over my work and life, disregarding the warning signs and uneasy gut feelings, ultimately led to a rediscovery of my power and purpose as an artist... BAD PREMONITION is made up of songs I wrote during this journey."
She noted that "¿QUIÉN TE MANDA?" in particular is a "song about deception. When I wrote it, I had gone through a series of consecutive situations in the music industry where I'd been locked into contracts that ultimately took away my freedom as an artist and my ability to release music and move forward with my career. After ending up in a final similar situation, I went through the long and arduous process of getting my freedom and independence back."
Regarding the song title, she continued: "The saying 'Quién te manda' is difficult to translate into English. It means 'who sent you,' but in sentiment, it means something like a combination of 'who told you to do that' and 'told you so.' It's a way of telling someone they messed up, and the blame is on them. I've always loved this phrase, and with this song, it took on an empowered meaning for me—in telling off someone who wronged me. At the same time, there's a question of 'quién te manda' to myself…of realizing my own role in being manipulated."
Listen to "¿QUIÉN TE MANDA?," below and pre-order BAD PREMONITION—out March 17—here. Also, find her tour dates listed below.
