Tedy (real name Ted Andreville) was born in Haiti in 1991, immigrating with his parents and two sisters, one his twin, to Florida when he was 10. The family moved often in those years, before eventually settling in Montreal when Tedy was 17. At 18. Tedy began making YouTube videos as the “Reaction King.” His following grew over time, eventually amassing over a million subscribers. Despite this success, Tedy was longing for more; always obsessed with music, he had the drive to write his own songs. At one point, Tedy felt like he had an existential choice to make: he was either going to make music and express himself more fully or he was not going to survive.

In 2014 Tedy put pen to paper; the result was “Soar,” a piano-heavy ballad that hinted at the pop sensibility that Tedy would continue to hone as he developed as a singer and songwriter. In 2020, Tedy released his EP Boys Don’t Cry, featuring production by Mike Wise (Bulow, Ellie Goulding, Chainsmokers). Early that year, he moved from Montreal to Toronto to begin work on his follow-up EP. This move coincided with the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, and an intense personal and creative interlude. Tedy publicly came out that year and spent time reflecting on what it means to be an artist, songwriter, gay man, performer, person of colour, and Haitian-Canadian.