Tonight at the Victoires de la Musique awards, one name keeps coming up five times: Theodora, nicknamed Boss Lady. At just 22 years old, she's nominated for Female Revelation, Newcomer of the Year, and Song of the Year for “Fashion Designa.” A crowning achievement for the most streamed French-speaking female artist in France in 2025, according to Billboard.

But who is Boss Lady?

Born Lili Théodora Mbangayo Mujinga in Switzerland, into a Congolese family forced into political exile, she grew up between several territories: Switzerland, Greece, Congo, and France (Réunion, Rennes, Bordeaux, Saint-Denis). “Honestly, I feel very French,” she confides in Léna Situations’ Couch podcast, recalling that she only obtained French nationality as a teenager.

His father, from a modest background in Kinshasa, saw his studies interrupted by the fall of Mobutu's regime. He became a doctor at the age of 42. His mother also finished her studies late in life to raise her children. This culture of resilience profoundly influenced the artist.

At 17, she left her family to pursue music. While she took her first steps in the industry through dance, her first compositions emerged from her collaboration with her brother, Jeez Suave: he created the rhythms, she added her vocals. Very quickly, Theodora realized she had found her voice.

Her eclectic music is nourished by the multiple cultural and musical influences encountered in her nomadic family environment. Her aesthetic is based on an uninhibited and assertive hyper-femininity. Beneath an apparent carefree attitude, her lyrics, rich in pop culture references, address powerful social themes: Black female identity, mental health, harassment, sexual violence, and suicide attempts.

Then everything changed with “Kongolese sous BBL”. For Emeric Berco, a presenter on Skyrock, the first listen was a shock: “We immediately understand that we are dealing with a star”, he told Le Parisien.

Afrobeat on “Fashion Designa”, collaborations with Jul, Disiz or Gims: Theodora multiplies universes without ever losing her signature.

A symbol

At the Flames ceremony, she dedicated her award “to the children of the diaspora and to all the slightly quirky Black girls.” She asserts her right to exist outside the norm: “I’m very comfortable with the fact that I’m not comfortable in my body,” she confided on the Couch podcast. Wearing a form-fitting dress, revealing her midriff, without justification: a political act as much as an artistic one.

And the public responds. In June and July 2025, it sold out in less than 15 minutes for four dates scheduled for March and April 2026 at the Zénith in Paris. A feat that confirms the phenomenon extends beyond streaming platforms.

Theodora embodies a generation that rejects unattainable standards and demands to be represented as it is.

Tonight at the Victoires de la Musique awards, beyond the trophies, it's this trajectory of exile, commitment, and artistic freedom that is being highlighted. Boss Lady is not just a streaming phenomenon. She has become a symbol.