Hailing from Miami, Florida, by way of Jamaica, singer-songwriter Teenear is the picture of consistency in this music and entertainment industry. She emerged on the scene almost a decade ago with her debut single. By 2016 she was signed to the legendary Slip-N-Slide records, home to fellow Miami natives Trick Daddy and Trina, among others. Still, all these years later she’s still introducing herself to fans. Our Teenear interview dives into the journey through those years, finally getting us to present day.
The songstress recently unveiled her long in the making, official debut studio collection, Never Met A Me. The 12-track project follows on the heels of her hit single, “Stay Home,” which peaked at number #1 on Apple Music’s Emerging R&B Songs Chart.
The chanteuse’s latest entry, “Moment,” features Grammy-nominated rap artist Rick Ross. The rapper also got his start with the record label.
Dive into our Teenear interview…
Parlé Mag: Let’s hop into this single, “Moment” — Tell me about this particular track; how did it come to fruition?
Teenear: “Moment” with Ross was a song that initially was going to be just me alone. I remember after recording it, I was playing it back with a few people from my team, and during the playback it just felt like he needed to be on this record. I knew that his voice would fit perfectly. One day, I was writing all my songs down on this whiteboard and I just decided to write his name next to it as if it were a thing already. I didn’t mention it to anyone or ask anybody about it. At the time, I didn’t know when I was gonna be putting that record out so it was really just something that I felt was a good fit and I said, “let’s write it down for now and move on.” A few months later, I was sent an MP3 file and was told to listen to it and I’ll never forget when I pressed play and heard, “Slip N Slide Records” in his voice, and that beat drop…I screamed! lol. Was in awe and so grateful, he really did his big one!
Parlé Mag: Of course “Moment” comes courtesy of your Never Met A Me. What does this title represent both to and for you?
Teenear: Never Met A Me represents a newfound confidence that I am living in. This album for me feels like a reintroduction of myself in the best form possible.
Parlé Mag: How does the collection of songs on Never Met A Me differ from your previous singles?
Teenear: There are a lot of things from my past that I still love and resonate with, but for the most part I was still learning and growing. This body of work definitely represents the essence of who I am. I feel like right now I’m moving in a different purpose. I may not understand my purpose completely just yet, but I have a better understanding of what I think and of what God wants me to represent and give to the world.
Parlé Mag: When you sit down to pen your lyrics, where do you draw inspiration from?
Teenear: With this project, every record came from a personal place. Whether it was a reflection of my own life and experiences, or the life of somebody close to me, I wanted to make music that I felt like most people can relate with.
Parlé Mag: Reflecting, tell me your whole inception into music — When did you first become interested? And how did it all begin for Teenear?
Teenear: Since I was young, I was into the entertainment world, definitely musical theater / acting was a passion for a while, but the moment I decided to take music seriously was when Justin Bieber came out (Laughs)! I’ll never forget going to school one day and all of the girls at my school were going crazy over Justin Bieber, and I didn’t know who he was yet. Immediately that night, I went home and researched him for hours on my bed, and I came across a contest he was doing to write to one of his instrumentals. That was the moment that sparked the love in me to create music. It became an outlet for me to express myself, and I fell in love with it.
Parlé Mag: What particular string of events actually led to your signing with Slip-N-Slide Records?
Teenear: For me, it started with putting covers out on YouTube. My first cover that did really well was “Stay” by Rihanna, I did a visual for it and everything. And after that, I started getting in the studio and recording demos. I’ll never forget the day that I was in the studio with a specific producer named Anthony Frank. He saw that I wasn’t enjoying what I was doing at that moment and he stopped me and said, “Teenear, let me play a new beat and let’s write to it!” I immediately freaked out because I had never done that with someone before, but to this day I appreciate him so much because that was a moment for me that got me out of my shell a little bit more. That song we created in the studio ended up becoming my first single called “Friday Night,” featuring Sage the Gemini, and that was the beginning of my journey with Slip-N-Slide.
Parlé Mag: Growing up, who did you consider to be your strongest influences?
Teenear: Growing up in Miami, I feel like in itself just sparked creativity in me because of the fact that it’s such a ‘colorful’ place. That’s definitely one thing that I love the most about Miami; I appreciate places like Wynwood especially, where people are constantly just expressing themselves through creativity and people aren’t afraid to be who they are. From a young age, I listened to people like Britney Spears, Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, Beyoncé, Aaliyah, Celine Dion, and Christina Aguilera! I feel like those were and still are my top girls to go back to and listen to all the time! To this day, I still look to Beyoncé not really for just her music, but the fact that she’s created an empire, a brand out of her name, and she started it with music. That’s my goal at the end of the day; I know there’s so much more that I can do, this is only the beginning.
Parlé Mag: That said, how do you describe the style of music that you create and perform?
Teenear: I would say I make a blend of Pop and R&B. Overall, I’d say I make love songs; I love love, and all my music is about the ups and downs of being in love.
Parlé Mag: Switching gears here, what exactly do you want people to get from your music?
Teenear: I want people to get a sense of self-confidence, positivity, and the light. I pray they can relate in a way that liberates them and just makes them feel better about themselves and relate in whatever situation they may be going through, with love and light.
Parlé Mag: If you could collaborate with any one artist, living or dead, who would it be and why?
Teenear: I would have to say, Michael Jackson! But honestly, I don’t even think it would be about the song for me. This song would just be a bonus, but I just would want to pick his brain and try to understand his thought process behind a few things I have questions about. Talented is an understatement when I think of him.
Parlé Mag: If you could play any venue in the world, which one would you choose and why?
Teenear: I know this isn’t a specific venue, but I definitely would love to do the Super Bowl one year! That is a goal for me, in whichever venue it takes place in that year, (laughs)!
Parlé Mag: On a more serious note, are you happy with the current state of R&B?
Teenear: I feel like… as of 2024 we are slowly finding our place back in the music world. I feel like people are now beginning to go back to the roots of R&B… slowly but surely.
Parlé Mag: What do you feel has and will continue to be the key to your longevity?
Teenear: Staying true to who I am! The only time I find myself “annoyed“ or “tired” is when I’m not doing what truly resonates with who I am. So as long as I stay true to myself, I know I’m gonna love everything that I do and that will reflect in the music I put out.
Parlé Mag: What are your aspirations, outside of music?
Teenear: I also really enjoy acting, but outside of the entertainment world I enjoy fashion, specifically jewelry, and all things that revolve around skin. So be on the lookout for another side of me, because I’m definitely going to tap in soon.
Parlé Mag: What’s an average day like for you?
Teenear: An average day for me usually starts at 6am. I pray, I journal then go workout. Then from there my day usually varies on if I have meetings or rehearsals or just tasks that I have to get done in regard to my music or rollout at the time. But no matter what, whether I had a lot of tasks or not, I never seem to get to bed until 12am.
Parlé Mag: Please discuss how you interact with and respond to fans…
Teenear: I try to interact with the people that support me on a daily basis and in a way that it feels personal to them as well. I don’t really like to call them fans because for me that feels so disconnected. I need them as much as they “need me“ and I appreciate each and every person that goes out of their way to do or say anything in my favor.
Parlé Mag: What is your favorite part about this line of work? Your least favorite? And, why?
Teenear: I feel like my favorite parts about being an artist is the visual aspect behind any record that I do and really putting a show together to perform. Because for me it’s like I get to create a little movie on the story I’m trying to tell. I find it to be so much fun. And for performing, I get to actually share that story in person and interact with somebody that can relate to me, I think that’s beautiful. And when it comes to my least favorite part, I don’t really like to speak on the negative side of things too much. Words are so powerful so I try to keep that between me and God! He’ll deal with it.
Parlé Mag: What advice would you have for someone wanting to follow in your footsteps?
Teenear: The first thing I’d ever tell anyone is to stay true to who you are. When it’s really “you” it feels better and when it feels better, you’ll do better because you’ll truly believe in it. When you believe in it, everyone else will believe in it. When you’re not standing in your truth, most people will feel that. So figure out what it is you stand on and represent. Never stray from that.
Parlé Mag: Looking ahead, say five or maybe even ten years from now, where do you see yourself?
Teenear: I see myself still putting out incredible music filled with love and light, headlining my own tours, being on movie theater screens, and hopefully introducing my second “product or company” to the world.
Parlé Mag: Is there anything I left out or just plain forgot to mention?
Teenear: My first album ever Never Met A Me is out now on all streaming platforms. This album is for the lovers, the ones that still know how to feel in this generation, (laughs!). And for those who want to stand in their confidence. It’s my baby. I hope you love it… I know you’ll love it!
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