Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Teebo

Teebo is an up-and-coming electro-pop artist who is ready to make his mark on the industry. His new single, “Liquor”, is a seductive take on relationships and the instant attraction between two people who just met and connect in both mind and spirit. Writing the song was a cathartic experience which allowed Teebo to revisit his own past. Pop Culturalist had the pleasure to speak with this fast-rising superstar about the track.

PC: How did you discover your passion for music?
Teebo: It started as a child; I was always listening to jazz, rap, and pop. Later on, it became stronger as I was working as a teenage professional dancer and thought, “Maybe I could actually produce my own music and make it work with dancing!” I later moved to London and started to work as a dancer and musician.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
Teebo: Life in general is definitely what has had the biggest influence on my career. Life struggles push me to think bigger, do better, and grow stronger. I think limits are meant to be pushed and the mind is an ever-growing entity.

PC: What is your creative process like when you’re working on a new song? Has it changed throughout the years?
Teebo: Most of my songs come to me while I sleep and then I remember them when I wake up, mostly in the middle of the night. I write scratch from a melody and build the song up. It sometimes takes me years to have a final record. My latest took me four years to finish.

PC: Tell us about your new single, “Liquor”. What inspired the track?
Teebo: “Liquor” was inspired by a sexual experience I had a few years back in New York. I found the melody very smooth and catchy. Writing it really brought me to a safe place where I could rewind all my past experiences and clean up my karma. It’s a song of hope, freedom, and humanity. It really gives an outside view on relationships and what we dare to give and receive.

PC: You just released the music video for “Liquor”. Walk us through the initial concept to the final product.
Teebo: The idea was to move freely and embody that guy you see in a club dancing like no one cares. I really wanted to give that off-tempo feel so that you would focus more on the character and the freedom it represents.

PC: You had a challenging childhood. What was the biggest lesson you learned about yourself during that time?
Teebo: What I’ve learned throughout the years is that problems are meant to be faced and confronted. Fears are just an idea that our minds create to prevent us from doing what we love. My mama always said, “There are no problems, only solutions.” That sounds really silly, but it definitely set my mind to not be scared and make the most out of every bad situation.

PC: What does the year hold for you as we look ahead to the rest of 2019?
Teebo: I’ll be releasing more music, videos, and photos. I’m constantly writing new songs and am currently arranging dates to perform around Europe and the U.S. with my flower crowns and gothic masks.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Teebo: Georg Friedrich Haendel. Even though he’s from the 17th Century, to me, he is one of the best musicians and visionaries ever.

PC: First album you bought?
Teebo: The Grease soundtrack. I was about eight.

PC: First concert you attended?
Teebo: It was a music festival in France called Bourges when I was thirteen. I got to see popular French artists perform.

PC: An album that changed your life and why?
Teebo: All the Queen albums, actually. They showed me music doesn’t have to fit in, or collapse in front of rejection.

PC: Someone you’d like to collaborate with in the future?
Teebo: Sam Smith

PC: A venue on your bucket list to perform at?
Teebo: Madison Square Garden

PC: A must-have on the road?
Teebo: My ginger/cayenne pepper/lemon juice and condoms.

To keep up with Teebo, follow him on Instagram, and pick up “Liquor” on Amazon Music, iTunes, or stream it on Spotify.