Tenelle

{{short description|American singer-songwriter}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2019}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Tenelle | image = | image_size = | landscape = | alt = | caption = | birth_name = Tenelle Christine Luafalemana<ref name="Artist Spotlight: Tenelle" /> | native_name = | native_name_lang = | alias = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1988|07|21}}<ref>{{cite web |title=Birth of Tenelle Luafalemana |url=https://www.californiabirthindex.org/birth/tenelle_christine_luafalemana_born_1988_18653962 |website=californiabirthindex.org |publisher=California Birth Index |accessdate=20 November 2020}}</ref> | birth_place = | origin = Carson, California | death_date = | death_place = | genre = Reggae, R&B, Pop | occupation = Singer-songwriter | instrument = | years_active = | label = }}

'''Tenelle Christine Luafalemana''' (born July 21, 1988) is an American Samoan singer-songwriter from Carson, California. She represented American Samoa in the American Song Contest where she placed 6th in the Grand Final.

==Early life== Tenelle grew up in Carson, California where she was originally a softball player. At the age of 12, she started taking singing lessons with vocal coach Tim Carter, best known for his work with artists such as Beyoncé and Willow Smith. After graduating from Gardena High School in 2006, Tenelle joined three of her uncles in a band called ''Chord Brown''.<ref name="Tenelle Living Like She’s Bulletproof">{{cite web |last1=Paris |first1=Melina |title=Tenelle Living Like She's Bulletproof: A Journey to Pop Stardom |url=https://www.randomlengthsnews.com/2012/08/12/tenelle-living-like-shes-bulletproof/ |publisher=Random Lengths News |accessdate=24 July 2018 |date=12 August 2012}}</ref>

==Career== Tenelle started her solo career as a popular regional performer on the West Coast of the United States and in Oceania. She became internationally recognized after the release of her single "Flava" by Grammy nominated artist Meghan Trainor in 2013.<ref name="Tenelle Returns with New Look">{{cite web |last1=Paris |first1=Melina |title=Tenelle Returns with New Look, New Single and New Vision |url=https://www.randomlengthsnews.com/2014/12/16/tenelle-returns-with-new-look-new-single-and-new-vision/ |publisher=Random Lengths News |accessdate=26 July 2018 |date=16 December 2014}}</ref> The song quickly rose on the iTunes singles chart, even reaching the number 1 spot.<ref name="Artist Spotlight: Tenelle" /> Tenelle's 2014 single "Get Some" was the most requested song on Honolulu's contemporary hits station, KCCN-FM.<ref name="Tenelle Returns with New Look" /> Her debut album ''For the Lovers'' was released on 10 March 2017 and peaked at number 1 on the Billboard Reggae Albums chart.<ref>{{cite web |title=Tenelle finds love on Billboard |url=http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/entertainment/Tenelle-finds-love-on-Billboard_93160 |work=Jamaica Observer |accessdate=22 August 2018 |date=21 March 2017}}</ref>

Tenelle has performed and collaborated with fellow Pacific Islander artists such as George 'Fiji' Veikoso, Drew Deezy, Adeaze, Anuhea, and Kimie. She has toured in the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, American Samoa, and Samoa.<ref name="Artist Spotlight: Tenelle">{{cite web |title=Artist Spotlight: Tenelle |url=http://www.theislandsound.com/2016/08/artist-spotlight-tenelle/ |publisher=The Island Sound |accessdate=26 July 2018 |date=30 August 2016}}</ref><ref name="All About Tenelle">{{cite web |last1=Pa'ala-Fraser |first1=Honestine |title=All About Tenelle: Exclusive Interview |url=http://www.thewhatitdo.com/2014/10/24/all-about-tenelle-exclusive-interview-2/ |publisher=The What It Do |accessdate=26 July 2018 |date=24 October 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Ah-Hi |first1=Elizabeth |title=Culture Crew coming to Samoa |url=http://www.samoaobserver.ws/en/14_01_2018/local/28805/%E2%80%98Culture-Crew%E2%80%99-coming-to-Samoa.htm |work=Samoa Observer |accessdate=11 August 2018 |date=13 January 2018}}</ref>

==Discography== ===Albums=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |- ! rowspan="2" style="width:8em;"| Title ! rowspan="2" style="width:17em;"| Album details ! Peak chart positions |- style="font-size:smaller;" ! style="width:4em;"| Reggae<br><ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.billboard.com/biz/charts/2017-04-01/reggae-albums |title=Reggae Albums|magazine=Billboard }}</ref> |- ! scope="row"|''For the Lovers''<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.allmusic.com/album/for-the-lovers-mw0003041524 |title=Tenelle: For the Lovers |publisher=AllMusic }}</ref> | * Release date: 10 March 2017 * Label: Island Empire Records | 1 |- |''This Is X'' | * Release date: 17 July 2020 * Label: Ten Ent | - |- |Anything Is Possible | * Release date: 22 January 2021 * Label: Ten Ent | - |- |HOME | * Release date: 18 July 2025 * Label: Ten Ent | - |}

===Singles=== * "Flava" (2013) * "Tell Me" (2013) * "Get Some" (2014) * "Number One" (2015) * "All I Want Is You" (2016) * "Girl Like Me" (2016) * "Ride or Die" (2016)

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * [https://www.tenellemusic.com Official Website]

Category:Living people Category:American people of Samoan descent Category:American women singer-songwriters Category:Singer-songwriters from California Category:1988 births Category:21st-century American women Category:People from Carson, California Category:Musicians from Los Angeles County, California