Tei Shi – Make believe I make believe

Today, Canadian-Colombian singer-songwriter and pop auteur Tei Shi releases her fourth album Make believe I make believe, released independently via Tei Shi LLC / The Orchard.

Alongside the release is the bilingual focus track and video “Montón”, an enchanting ode to the sweetness of lust and surrendering to love.

The shimmering visual, directed by Mexican director Joaquin Castillo and brought to life with a team of Latinx creatives, pays homage to Tei Shi’s own roots while beautifully capturing the yearning for connection, touch, and desire amidst the glow of the dancefloor.

Tei Shi shares, “‘Montón’ is a song about falling for someone, crushing hard and giving into it. It’s about that moment when you let go of physical boundaries and space, and you give into the sweetness of being in love. I picture it as a late night with your bb, up all night just the two of you in your room, dancing together and tuning out the world.”

Written and recorded during a creative retreat on Vancouver Island with longtime collaborators Noah Beresin and Tommy English, Make believe I make believe is Tei Shi’s most liberated work to date: vulnerable, self-assured, and completely unbound by genre. Seamlessly weaving English and Spanish, the album draws from dream-pop, dembow, acoustic folk, shoegaze, left-field electronics, and tropical influences, all filtered through her unique perspective. Tei Shi wrote, co-produced and A&Red the project while co-directing the visual world around it. The album is proof that Tei Shi is an artist who thrives with the independence and creative freedom she has reclaimed for herself.

Make believe I make believe expands on the personal and artistic lens of her last project Valerie, shifting from reclamation to clear-eyed, fully owned, and emotionally present. Spanning 10 tracks, it includes standout singles like the defiant “Drop Dead,” the introspective “Best Be Leaving,” and the perreo-inducing “222” (feat. Loyal Lobos), each tracing her ongoing evolution. Make believe I make believe opens a new chapter: tender, playful and quietly undeniable–while reaffirming Tei Shi’s roots and her multicultural identity in the process.

“ ‘Make believe I make believe’ was created during a one-week retreat on Vancouver Island last fall with Noah Beresin and Tommy English. Thanks to a grant from the British Columbia government, I was able to rent a studio with accommodation in the middle of the woods, giving us the rare chance to write and record non-stop.” She adds, “Being back home, reconnecting with family and old friends, and working without any outside voices or pressure – no label, manager, or restrictions – allowed me to fully dive into my mind and emotions. The result is a really versatile collection that captures a wide range of feelings and touches on sonics from Canadiana to neo-perreo.”

Next month, Tei Shi will bring Make believe I make believe to the stage on her headline tour. The 12-city trek kicks off in Los Angeles on September 26th, with stops in Washington D.C., New York, Chicago, Toronto, Mexico City, Vancouver, San Francisco, and more before wrapping in Portland on November 23rd.

Alongside today’s release, Tei Shi has also announced a UK and European tour for early 2026, marking her long-awaited return to international stages. The 10-date run begins 18 February in London and makes stops in Manchester, Dublin, Paris, Berlin, Madrid, and more before it concludes in Barcelona on 2 March.

Known for channeling expansive creativity into a sound entirely her own, Tei Shi blends grounded vulnerability into genre-fluid soundscapes with vivid storytelling and bilingual lyricism, cementing her place as one of today’s most compelling artists.

TEI SHI MAKE BELIEVE I MAKE BELIEVE TOUR DATES

SEPT 26 – LOS ANGELES, CA – LODGE ROOM

OCT 20 – PHILADELPHIA, PA –  MILKBOY

OCT 21 – WASHINGTON, DC – UNION STAGE

OCT 23 – CLEVELAND, OH – BEACHLAND BALLROOM

OCT 25 – BROOKLYN, NY – ELSEWHERE, ZONE 1

OCT 28 – TORONTO, ON – ADELAIDE HALL

OCT 30 – CHICAGO, IL – SLEEPING VILLAGE

NOV 8 – MEXICO CITY, MX – FORO INDIE ROCKS!

NOV 18 – VANCOUVER, BC – BILTMORE CABARET

NOV 20 – SAN FRANCISCO, CA – THE INDEPENDENT

NOV 21 – SEATTLE, WA – MADAME LOUS

NOV 23 – PORTLAND, OR – MISSISSIPPI STUDIOS

TEI SHI MAKE BELIEVE I MAKE BELIEVE EURO TOUR DATES

18 FEB – LONDON, UK – THE LEXINGTON

19 FEB – MANCHESTER, UK – YES

20 FEB – DUBLIN, IRELAND – BELLO BAR

23 FEB – PARIS, FRANCE – LE HASARD LUDIQUE

24 FEB – BRUSSELS, BELGIUM – BOTANIQUE – ROTONDE

25 FEB – AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS – CINETOL

26 FEB – WARSAW, POLAND – VOODOO CLUB

28 FEB – BERLIN, GERMANY – URBAN SPREE

01 MAR – MADRID, SPAIN – SALA CLAMORES

02 MAR – BARCELONA, SPAIN – LAUT

#teishi