Singer $teevo to release new single Jaded

Singer Stephen “$teevoo” Quesnel will release his new single, Jaded, on February 23. He said it reflects a new direction in his music since he began releasing songs in 2022.

This is his fifth release since 2022, and he said he will be releasing a new song every two months.

From age seven, Quesnel was drawn to music and entertainment and loved dancing and performing. He is also a close relative of Sean “Hey Choppi” Padmore, then performing as Sean Nebula, from the duo Nebula868, which allowed him access to the music space from an early age.

“I’d describe my music as island pop. We’re taking a lot of influences from all the other genres that are around the region and making something new. It’s not soca, it’s not dancehall, but it’s heavily influenced by all of the above. Calypso, reggae, conscious music, they all have a significant influence on the music we’re trying to do, a new sound that’s familiar. The right amount of familiar and the right amount of different.”

The 25-year-old was born and raised in Talparo, and he said the rural setting had a significant influence on his character.

“It’s not very populated, it’s not an urban environment and I think where I’m from plays a part in the music I like to make and the topics I like to make music on. It’s in the way I choose to bring topics across, I like to use very colloquial terms, so that you hear it, you can identify that this is someone from Trinidad.

“There are different approaches to things, so yes our Caribbean music is heavily party-centric, but I like to take is a more relaxed approach.”

Quesnel studied music theory and played pan as a student. After attending Trinity College, he got a scholarship to complete sixth form studies in film, philosophy, math, IT, literature, and psychology at The United World College of Costa Rica, where his love of music really bloomed.

“I was in a foreign place, I was a youth man, I didn’t have any family there or know anyone, but I met tonnes of people from different places and the one thing that consistently drew me was the wealth of music people had to share and the fact that music really crosses all borders.

“I was surrounded by people from every corner of the world, Nepal, Australia, Germany, and music was the one real uniting force. On a Friday, regardless of place and background, we’d come together to share music with each other.”

Quesnel said when he returned to Trinidad, he worked as a jeweller and a DJ for two years while he began writing music for himself.

“I stopped DJing and I started writing and recording. I used to be hanging around the studio and writing for people and soaking up the vibes. Eventually one day Choppi and those guys told me why don’t you record something, and here we are.

“It’s a funny full-circle moment. I studied film in school and now years later I’m using that expertise in my music videos.”

His first single, Hot Soup, debuted in 2022, and he said it was well received on the local airwaves.

“I was surprised and taken aback because you know it’s difficult to break through in Trinidad, but all the radio stations had me on a heavy rotation, which was really nice. In 2023, I released Sundress, Mapepire, Intergalactic Jungle Sex, and Come and Pull Up. Jaded is now the latest addition.”

He said the song was originally a 23-minute freestyle from which he had to extract the best parts.

“It was a very vulnerable moment for me. I think it’s the first time I cried in the studio. I was going through a lot last year at the point when I recorded it. I don’t usually present myself so vulnerably to the audience, usually it’s more of a kind of swaggy bravado, ladies man kind of presentation, so this one is much more vulnerable. Jaded is my therapising myself on the microphone.

“It holds a special place in my heart in terms of my artistry expanding, more multi-faceted, not just in the vein of party tunes only. I want to be able to offer a cathartic experience to the audience.”

Quesnel said his music, including Jaded, could be found on all streaming platforms and on Instagram, but it was important to look for the spelling of his artist name, which is derived from a childhood nickname.

“My friends gave me that nickname in school days and it stuck, so I said what better name for my alias than what people already call me.

“I just had to think up a unique spelling and that’s how we ended up with $teevoo.”

He said he planned to release 11 more songs, and would be performing at events beginning possibly in June or July. He said he wanted to travel around the world with his music.

“I want to show people there’s a vast variety of music that comes out of the Caribbean, that we’re not only limited to music for Carnival celebrations and that kind of stuff. A big driving force for me is showing the youths there are other types of music to be made that’s not just centred around gun violence or around Carnival. There are a lot of different avenues to be explored that our youth don’t usually get guidance or get pushed to see other potential avenues.”