Theodora (singer)

Lili Théodora Mbangayo Mujinga was born in Lucerne, Switzerland, on 23 October 2003, to Congolese parents who had emigrated after being forced into exile due to political persecution. Her grandfather was affiliated with the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS), a political party established in 1982 by Étienne Tshisekedi, who later served as Prime Minister of Zaire, the former name of the Democratic Republic of the Congo under Mobutu Sese Seko. A lawyer by profession, he opposed President Joseph Kabila, who governed from 2001 to 2019. During Mobutu's period, her father, then serving as a military doctor, enlisted in the army to take advantage of an overseas study program in Greece. However, shortly after his arrival, Mobutu was overthrown by Laurent-Désiré Kabila. She told Numéro that military students were subsequently abandoned by the government, left without funding or support, which led her father to suspend his studies. Although some details remain unclear to her, she explained that he later moved to Switzerland, where she was born, before the family returned to Greece and also spent time on Réunion Island. In 2008, following Greece's financial crisis, the family left the country, stopping first in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and then on Réunion Island. They later moved to mainland France, living in Val-d'Oise, near La Rochelle, Bordeaux, and in Brittany. The family ultimately settled in Saint-Denis, in the Seine-Saint-Denis department. After their arrival, the family of five initially shared a small studio apartment in public housing until her father's medical career allowed for improved financial stability. Although born in Switzerland, she does not hold Swiss citizenship because of the absence of birthright citizenship and has said she feels no particular attachment to the country. She earned her Baccalauréat in 2021 in Vitré, where she was classmates with the French streamer and online content creator Anyme. Initially interested in political studies, she enrolled in the ENS D1 preparatory program in Vannes, which she left after six months. == Music career ==

2018–2022: Career beginnings and Neptune Theodora's first exposure to music came through her father. As the project progressed, the siblings organized their first festival and officially released Neptune on 10 January 2021 on Spotify through their independent label, Neptune Production. The music video, funded with money she had saved while working at McDonald's, pays tribute to Seine-Saint-Denis over an animated drum-and-bass production. The song was later included on her six-track EP Lili Aux Paradis Artificiels, which was released on 15 March 2023 under Maison Neptune X NBDF. Lili Aux Paradis Artificiels also featured tracks such as "Ici le temps est trop morose", "C trop la loose", "Liliroxk", "Dans le paradis artificiel", and "Après l'orage". Most of the songs were co-written with Suave, who also produced the EP. The sequel, Lili aux paradis artificiels: tome 2, was released on 6 July 2023 and included five new tracks: "...Y'a deux fois plus d'orage", "Besoin d'aide", "J'ai retrouvé le sourire", "Boss Lady" and "Love me lagadou". The EP featured guest appearances from Implaccable and production contributions from Pedro Da Linha, Sutus, Koboi, MEI, Neophron, and Suave. as it evolved into a "body-positive anthem, fueling viral dance challenges and lip-sync moments across social platforms". Jeremie Leger of the French rap outlet Rap City noted that the track highlights the dismantling of stereotypes surrounding the hyper-feminized and hypersexualized image of Black women. The acronym "BBL", frequently used in her work, refers to Brazilian Butt Lift, Big Boss Lady (her nickname), or Bad Boy Lovestory, the title of her first mixtape. it also entered Spotify's Top 50 France, received airplay on major stations such as NRJ and Skyrock, It was later certified diamond by SNEP and gold by the BRMA. The Fader described it as a "sugary fizz of dance, electronic, dancehall, and more". Commercially, the mixtape peaked at No. 2 on the SNEP Top Albums chart for three consecutive weeks, No. 14 on Ultratop Wallonia, and No. 100 on the Swiss Hitparade, Beneath its upbeat sound, Bad Boy Lovestory explores themes of mental health, toxic relationships, and self-reflection. Meanwhile, the amapiano-influenced "Fashion Designa", also produced by Jeez Suave, accentuates her confident and self-empowered persona, and it was certified diamond in France and spent two weeks at No. 12 on the SNEP Top Singles chart. "Fashion Designa" won Original Song at the 2026 Victoires de la Musique and was also nominated for Audiovisual Creation, It debuted at No. 15 on Ultratop Wallonia and No. 21 on the Swiss Hitparade, and was certified platinum in France. The release was supported by "PAY!" (featuring Guy2Bezbar), "Do U Wanna?", "Zou Bizou" (featuring Jul), "Masoko Na Mabele" (featuring London), and "Mon bébé" (featuring Brazy). In June 2025, she sold-out three consecutive concerts at Zénith Paris. Throughout the summer, she performed at major French festivals including Yardland, Les Vieilles Charrues, and Cabaret Vert. In August, Le Monde described her as the "pop phenomenon of the summer" and noted that with the success of her inclusive songs, she had become "the new boss of pop in France". That month, Billboard France reported that Theodora was the second most-streamed female francophone artist of the year in France, behind Aya Nakamura. On 12 September 2025, she performed on the Angela Davis stage at the Fête de l'Humanité in La Courneuve. The performance, attended by one of the festival's largest crowds, was noted for its political themes and was described as the most significant concert of her 2025 tour by her entourage. On 26 September, Theodora was featured on Disiz's single "Melodrama" from his 14th album ''On s'en rappellera pas'', which topped the SNEP chart for ten consecutive weeks. The track also reached No. 1 on Ultratop Wallonia and No. 8 on the Swiss Hitparade. It marked her first chart-topping single and Disiz's second, following "Rencontre" with Damso. setting a 2025 record for the longest consecutive run at No. 1 in the country, She also appeared on Sarz's "Mademoiselle", taken from his album Protect Sarz at All Costs, alongside Odumodublvck, Shallipopi, and Zeina. The song peaked at No. 19 on the UK Afrobeats Singles Chart and No. 29 on the Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs. She then appeared at the GP Explorer 3 concert on 4 October 2025 and appeared on its companion album The Last Race. In November 2025, GQ France named her Woman of the Year, and later appeared on Meryl's "Instructions" from her album La Dame, which reached No. 43 on the SNEP Top Singles chart. By December 2025, she had become the most-streamed French-language artist in France. In January 2026, she appeared on Gims' single "Spa", which reached No. 4 on the SNEP Top Singles chart for three weeks, No. 18 on Ultratop Wallonia, and No. 21 on the Swiss Hitparade. The following month, she released "Des mythos", which spent one week at No. 13 on the SNEP Top Singles chart and blends bouyon with pop, hip-hop, and electronic music. That same February, Theodora also appeared on PLK's "Sex Model" from his album Grand Garçon, which peaked at No. 3 on the SNEP Top Singles chart for two weeks, No. 38 on the Swiss Hitparade, and No. 47 in Wallonia. In March 2026, she released "Miss Kitoko", which reached No. 15 on the SNEP Top Singles chart. The Lingala term kitoko, which simply means "handsome" or "beautiful", reflects her recurring self-assured and celebratory tone. == Television career ==

Between 31 October and 14 November 2025, Theodora appeared as a guest on the fourth season of Nouvelle École, a Netflix-produced musical reality series centered on French-speaking European rap (from France, Belgium, and Switzerland) and adapted from the American show Rhythm + Flow. In January 2026, she became a permanent member of the judging panel for the program's fifth season, alongside Oli and SDM. == Style and influences ==

Theodora's style has been described as a mix of goth, rap, and R&B influences. Her brother, Jeez Suave, serves as her main producer. Together they have incorporated elements of drum and bass, Creole folk music, Caribbean genres such as bouyon, and influences from her childhood spent in Greece, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Réunion. In an interview with Vogue France, she credited her father, a music enthusiast, with introducing her to local styles during their travels. She has also cited The Weeknd and Rihanna as influences. == Activism ==

Feminism, anti–far-right engagement, and denunciation of genocides On social media, she openly shares her opinions on societal matters, particularly her support for feminism. In July 2024, after the National Rally's performance in the first round of the legislative elections, she joined other artists at a demonstration opposing the far right. She has also spoken out against genocides, especially those occurring in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Gaza. On 22 April 2025, she appeared at the sold-out Solidarité Congo benefit concert at the Accor Arena, joining dozens of French rap and international artists to gather support for children affected by the Rwandan-backed M23 insurgency in eastern DRC. The concert's revenue was entirely donated to Give Back Charity. She reiterated her stance against the far right by referencing Zaho de Sagazan, stressing that politicians should not quote artists if they fail to defend the people those artists stand for. LGBTQIA+ advocacy During her 2025 appearance on Drag Race France All Stars, she expressed her appreciation for drag culture and the LGBTQIA+ community, acknowledging how much she has gained from them and her desire to give back. According to Steffanee Wang in the Fader, her song "Mon Bébé" stands out as boldly provocative and rich in queer-coded visuals. On stage, Theodora performs in lingerie, bikinis, corsets, and creatively draped fabrics that strategically cover only what censorship requires. In an interview with Billboard France in December 2025, she added that the drag world had helped her through difficult periods in her life, stating, "It's a world I really appreciated, at a time in my life when I was withdrawing into myself without realizing it. I met people who were really there to express themselves and come together. I think some of them felt this almost paternal need to come and help me. That's why I feel close to it, and I also have many LGBT people on my team". She said she intentionally wears her natural afro-textured hair, aware that her visibility can shape how young Black girls see themselves. She also described feeling pressure to adopt a more formal French tone during radio interviews and to navigate media questions that included subtle microaggressions or reductive comparisons to the small pool of Black French female artists. Women in the music industry In an interview with Red Bull France, she described the music industry as hostile toward women, overly competitive, and structured to foster insecurity. She argued that women are made to believe there is limited space for them, even though many are talented. While she does not oppose competition itself, she believes it should not prevent solidarity or mutual respect among artists. Speaking to Billboard France, she also criticized the industry as fundamentally anti-woman, saying it favors compliant "doll-like" figures rather than women who assert themselves and demand what they deserve. In her view, capitalism frames women as liabilities, particularly due to issues like maternity leave, and this logic extends into music, where she feels there is perceived to be room for only one successful woman at a time. == Personal life ==

In 2024, Theodora was said to be dating rapper Zoomy. She also revealed that she has polycystic ovary syndrome, which leads to hormonal and physical issues. == Awards and nominations ==

Mega BBL Tour == Discography ==

EPs • Neptune (2021) • Lili Aux Paradis Artificiels (2023) • Tome 2 (2023) Mixtapes Charted singles and songs } • BEA: • SNEP: • SNEP: • BEA: • SNEP: • SNEP: • BEA: • SNEP: • BEA: • SNEP: • SNEP: • BEA: • SNEP: • BEA: • SNEP: • SNEP: • SNEP: == References ==