Success is measured by different methods. Many consider things like album sales, awards and stream counts to set the bar, while others may point to a more generalized cultural impact — that it's not just about winning, but how one plays the game. Imbued with independence and powered by hustle, BAD PREMONITION is a game-changer for Tei Shi.
BAD PREMONITION was written during a time of strife as Tei Shi — a.k.a. Valerie Teicher — worked to liberate herself from the confines of oppressive music industry contracts that thumbed the scale of her career. After dropping Saudade, her debut EP as Tei Shi in 2013, Teicher has reinvented herself with each new release, with 2015's Verde EP, 2017's Crawl Space and 2019's La Linda each uncovering new facets of the artist's sound.
Along the way, Tei Shi sang on "Holiest" with Glass Animals in 2014, appeared with Puff Daddy on Blood Orange's 2018 track "Hope" and collaborated with John Cale on "I Know You're Happy" on this year's long-awaited Mercy. That's an impressive resume, which she managed to grow in the midst of fighting for creative freedom.
BAD PREMONITION sees the artist finally self-determining her destiny, revelling in a style of cerebral 22nd century art-pop that brings to mind Grimes if music was still her primary objective instead of a maligned side quest. Teicher isn't afraid to lay her scars bare, and she lets it rip here. Her lyrics are cutting and thoughtful, her vocals bright yet breathy, and her tunes catchy and futuristic, surfing a similar cornucopia of topics and influences as collected in the works of Jessy Lanza, Kimbra and Maylee Todd.
Written alongside Patrick Wimberly (formerly of Chairlift) and Jake Portrait (of Unknown Mortal Orchestra) using a combination of Spanish and English lyrics, "¿QUIÉN TE MANDA?" was forged in the wake of Teicher's professional struggle. She sings of taking control of the wheel after someone had their grubby hands all over it while the nervous, atmospheric beat incorporates the squeal of a dialup modem in its layers.
Produced with Mikey Freedom Hart, "GRIP" touches on similar themes of being held — or held down — and breaking free. Over a pensive '90s pop breakbeat, the hook sees her declaring "You don't own me / Thought this shit was free and you got me cheap / But it gets ugly when you don't play clean / Gotta get you off me."
She sounds spiritually lost on "FAMILIAR," seemingly searching the puddles of urban decay for a comforting reflection. The production has the warm, synth-laden atmosphere of Goldfrapp in downtempo mode, as Teicher sings of her heart turning to stone and being unable to find herself in the mirror.
The title track is as ominous as it sounds. Featuring some of her most beautiful vocals, lightly harmonizing with herself as she frames the downward cascading instrumental, she laments her misfortune while praying for one chance to be in the right place at the right time. We may not all have careers in music, but most of us have jobs and love lives; sentiments like this are relatable no matter the life you lead, and her spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down.
As well-produced as La Linda was, it seems tame compared to the heat of BAD PREMONITION, which lands closer to the punchier style of Crawl Space. Granted, a couple moments trend a little cheesy, but there are enough bangers on the EP to make it feel like her Fame Monster moment. It plays well on repeat, and, if the world has any sense, it'll project a whole lot more positivity on Tei Shi.
(Independent)BAD PREMONITION was written during a time of strife as Tei Shi — a.k.a. Valerie Teicher — worked to liberate herself from the confines of oppressive music industry contracts that thumbed the scale of her career. After dropping Saudade, her debut EP as Tei Shi in 2013, Teicher has reinvented herself with each new release, with 2015's Verde EP, 2017's Crawl Space and 2019's La Linda each uncovering new facets of the artist's sound.
Along the way, Tei Shi sang on "Holiest" with Glass Animals in 2014, appeared with Puff Daddy on Blood Orange's 2018 track "Hope" and collaborated with John Cale on "I Know You're Happy" on this year's long-awaited Mercy. That's an impressive resume, which she managed to grow in the midst of fighting for creative freedom.
BAD PREMONITION sees the artist finally self-determining her destiny, revelling in a style of cerebral 22nd century art-pop that brings to mind Grimes if music was still her primary objective instead of a maligned side quest. Teicher isn't afraid to lay her scars bare, and she lets it rip here. Her lyrics are cutting and thoughtful, her vocals bright yet breathy, and her tunes catchy and futuristic, surfing a similar cornucopia of topics and influences as collected in the works of Jessy Lanza, Kimbra and Maylee Todd.
Written alongside Patrick Wimberly (formerly of Chairlift) and Jake Portrait (of Unknown Mortal Orchestra) using a combination of Spanish and English lyrics, "¿QUIÉN TE MANDA?" was forged in the wake of Teicher's professional struggle. She sings of taking control of the wheel after someone had their grubby hands all over it while the nervous, atmospheric beat incorporates the squeal of a dialup modem in its layers.
Produced with Mikey Freedom Hart, "GRIP" touches on similar themes of being held — or held down — and breaking free. Over a pensive '90s pop breakbeat, the hook sees her declaring "You don't own me / Thought this shit was free and you got me cheap / But it gets ugly when you don't play clean / Gotta get you off me."
She sounds spiritually lost on "FAMILIAR," seemingly searching the puddles of urban decay for a comforting reflection. The production has the warm, synth-laden atmosphere of Goldfrapp in downtempo mode, as Teicher sings of her heart turning to stone and being unable to find herself in the mirror.
The title track is as ominous as it sounds. Featuring some of her most beautiful vocals, lightly harmonizing with herself as she frames the downward cascading instrumental, she laments her misfortune while praying for one chance to be in the right place at the right time. We may not all have careers in music, but most of us have jobs and love lives; sentiments like this are relatable no matter the life you lead, and her spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down.
As well-produced as La Linda was, it seems tame compared to the heat of BAD PREMONITION, which lands closer to the punchier style of Crawl Space. Granted, a couple moments trend a little cheesy, but there are enough bangers on the EP to make it feel like her Fame Monster moment. It plays well on repeat, and, if the world has any sense, it'll project a whole lot more positivity on Tei Shi.
