Māori singer/songwriter Teeks has landed a feature in Vogue magazine which hails him as one of Aotearoa's "most promising talents" about to receive a lot more attention in the international music scene.
"His voice, deep and smooth as butter, has caused some to dub him the male Adele," the article reads.
The magazine hosted the world premiere of the music video for Teeks' new track 'Without You' - from his forthcoming first full-length album - and highlights the "critical acclaim" his first EP Grapefruit Skies received in 2017.
"You're about to hear a lot more from Te Karehana Gardiner-Toi, who goes by Teeks," the article promises, adding that the singer is "about to step onto a global stage".
Vogue US readers are also introduced to a few Māori words as writer Christian Allaire explains how Teeks' cultural background influences his music.
"Having grown up entrenched in waiata and kapa haka, the Māori words for song and dance, Teeks says his culture continues to shape his sound and provides a through line to his work," the article reads.
For his part, Teeks reveals the inspiration behind 'Without You', which has been two years in the making.
"It's about longing," he told Vogue in the interview.
"Longing for someone, and not being able to be next to them. Having that emotional weight and feeling it so strongly that the pain becomes physical."
In the socially-distant age of COVID-19, the 26-year-old singer feels the song is more relevant than ever.
"Now the song doesn't belong to me," he said. "It's for anyone to interpret it."
The video for 'Without You' was shot in Teeks' "favourite place in the world": Hokianga, where his father is from.
"It was such a special moment in time for me to be able to go home and get people involved from my own community," Teeks said, mentioning that several of his family members feature in the clip.
The article was shared to Vogue's 28.2 million followers via there Instagram page, in a post which claims: "If you're not yet familiar with @thisteeks, you soon will be."
