Ten years ago, Teni released her debut single, “Amen”. After months of Instagram videos, short freestyles and covers, the Shizzi-produced song marked a quiet introduction to one of the Apata daughters. Since then, she has left Shizzi, signed with Dr Dolor Entertainment, departed the label and moved towards independence. Through these changes, Teni has remained one of Afrobeats’ most recognisable personalities, turning her goofy disposition into a defining part of her appeal.
Following the success of “Zion”, her collaboration with Olamide, Teni has enjoyed another moment in the spotlight. With the song approaching eight million streams on Spotify, she follows up with The Wellness Package, an extended play that finds her dispensing advice on the business of living.
Teni wears a doctor’s garb and takes the stage with a microphone in hand, ready to serve as a therapist to her listeners. The Bob Marley-inspired “Meditation” calls on people to embrace love, education and hard work in their pursuit of comfort. It introduces the EP’s central concern: how to navigate life’s difficulties without losing sight of what matters.
On “Face Front”, Teni offers a more sombre, personal view of the world. The optimism of “Meditation” gives way to something more restrained, as though she recognises that encouragement alone cannot solve every problem. The song is earnest, if not particularly revelatory.
The Cavemen, one of the younger acts helping to renew interest in highlife, join Teni on “Wise”. The song draws on familiar wisdom, delivering its lessons through short, carefully crafted lines. In the second half, Teni appears to reimagine Fela Kuti onstage, bringing a different flavour to the performance. The collaboration works because both acts understand the material without crowding each other out.
“Wuru Manya” boasts the EP’s most sophisticated production. The drums, synths and guitar strings come together in a lively arrangement, while Chike and Teni work around each other’s energy. Their chemistry makes for a feel-good song that acknowledges life’s uncertainties without letting them spoil the occasion. Here, the advice can wait. It is time to make merry.
“Zion” is a highlight. Olamide’s contribution is substantial enough to stand as a song of its own, and his verse shifts the record’s emotional direction. Drawing on the perspective of a man who has spent years building a life, he delivers a deeply moving reflection on what matters. His contribution gives the song a weight beyond the familiar exchange of verses between a lead artist and a featured guest.
On “Money”, Teni turns to the dangers of the pursuit of wealth. People switch lanes in the scramble for financial comfort, sometimes losing sight of what they set out to achieve. It is a pointed observation in a culture where money is often treated as the ultimate measure of success, although the song could explore the consequences of that pursuit more deeply.
Teni closes with “Here Today Gone Tomorrow”, a reminder of life's impermanence. The message is didactic, but the background vocals lend the song an almost angelic quality. It is a fitting end to a project preoccupied with the choices people make and the limited time they have to make them.
The Wellness Package is a cohesive project whose collaborations feel considered and whose production generally serves its ideas. Some of its lessons are familiar, and a few songs stop short of examining their subjects in depth. Still, Teni makes a convincing case for slowing down and paying attention to the things that matter, without entirely losing the playful personality that brought listeners to her music in the first place.
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