La Linda

In the two years since the release of her 2017 debut album Crawl Space, Colombian Canadian singer Tei Shi (whose real name is Valerie Teicher) found herself relocating from New York to Los Angeles in an attempt to free herself from negative relationships and get a fresh start. These experiences are detailed on La Linda, a stunning collection of R&B-influenced pop songs, with the singer finding new depths to her voice. Teicher reconnects with her Latin American roots on the Spanish-sung “Matando” and the marimba-heavy “No Juegues," while the slow-burning “When He’s Done” enthusiastically dips into country. “Even If It Hurts”—featuring Blood Orange, with whom she collaborated on “Hope,” from his 2018 album Negro Swan—is a grooving duet that thoughtfully explores the pain that sometimes accompanies falling in love.