Kelela Quotes

Powerful Kelela for Daily Growth

About Kelela

Kelela Mizanekia (born May 13, 1983), simply known as Kelela, is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer whose innovative blend of R&B, electronic music, and pop has made her a prominent figure in contemporary music. Born in Los Angeles, California, to Ethiopian parents, Kelela was raised between Washington D.C. and Alexandria, Virginia. She developed an early interest in music, citing Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, and Lauryn Hill as major influences. Her musical journey began when she started writing songs at the age of 13. Kelela's career took off when she moved to London in 2008. There, she joined the Buzzin Fly family, a collective of artists and producers who experimented with dance music. This environment significantly influenced her sound, leading to her debut mixtape 'Cut 4 Me' (2013), which showcased her unique fusion of R&B and electronic music. In 2017, Kelela released her critically acclaimed debut album 'Take Me Apart'. The album was a commercial success, earning widespread praise for its production, lyricism, and Kelela's powerful vocal performance. Tracks like 'LMK', 'Enough' and 'Onanon' solidified her position as a trailblazer in modern R&B. Kelela continues to push boundaries with her music, merging traditional R&B with contemporary electronic sounds. Her unique style and powerful narrative have made her a beloved figure in the music industry, influencing a new generation of artists. Kelela's journey is a testament to the power of perseverance, creativity, and the fusion of diverse musical influences.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"I'm not afraid of pain, I'm afraid of numbness."

This quote suggests that Kelela values her ability to feel pain over feeling numb. Pain indicates that she is alive, emotionally connected, and engaged with the world. Numbness, on the other hand, signifies detachment, indifference, or a lack of sensitivity, which she perceives as undesirable states. Essentially, she prefers authentic emotional experiences to anesthetized existence.

"I want you to remember my name."

This quote suggests a desire for enduring recognition and connection between two people, emphasizing the importance the speaker places on their relationship. It implies the speaker wants to leave a lasting impression in the other's memory, signifying deep feelings or significance.

"I've got the power inside me to break free from anything."

This quote by Kelela signifies personal empowerment, resilience, and self-liberation. It emphasizes that each individual has an inner strength which can help them overcome any obstacles or situations they find themselves in, enabling them to break free from adversity, limitations, or oppressive circumstances. It's a powerful reminder that our internal resources are immense, and when we tap into them, we can transform our lives.

"I was just living out my fantasies on stage, in a world where I had control over every part of it."

This quote suggests that Kelela found liberation and empowerment through performing music. On stage, she could realize her desires unfettered, creating a realm where she held complete authority over every aspect. It underscores the cathartic potential of art as a means for self-expression and personal growth.

"Sometimes you need to leave things behind to find yourself."

This quote suggests that it can be essential to detach from past experiences, relationships, or situations in order to discover one's true self, identity, or purpose. The act of leaving behind, whether physically or emotionally, creates space for personal growth, introspection, and exploration – ultimately leading to self-discovery.

As it pertains to my black womanhood, there's just a lot of ground to cover. There's a lot of stuff to say.

- Kelela

Black, Cover, Lot, Womanhood

I think the Internet is more layered and complex than just hating it or liking it. I find it to be more purposeful to talk about the way that it's conducive for relationships and making connections.

- Kelela

Think, Making, Conducive, Hating

For those of us who make music together, I think it's important to realize that generosity on both sides is actually going to produce the biggest possibility.

- Kelela

Think, Both Sides, I Think, Generosity

I try to make it a sonic experience so that when you put your earbuds in or when you're in your room, it sounds like an enveloping feeling. I think that is the most important thing, that wherever you are, it is wrapping you up and making you feel safe and comfortable.

- Kelela

I Think, Important Thing, Sonic

A lot of white men in the music industry are promoting and participating in black culture in a way that is pretty careless. They want the currency of blackness, but they don't want the brunt that comes along with that.

- Kelela

Pretty, Promoting, Blackness, Brunt

Often, I write to feel better and to heal - to cope with things that I'm dealing with. I'm either writing to get out of a feeling or to get into the feeling, to feel it more. Usually it's the perfect remedy, but if it isn't, I focus on other parts of what I'm making that don't involve writing. If neither are working, I simply forfeit the day.

- Kelela

Perfect, Other, I Write, Remedy

A lot of people of color in the music industry are still more interested in embracing things that are considered white canon, and looking radical. Like when people point to punk in the indie world: If you point to the history of punk as what you see as your legacy, that's more prized and praised.

- Kelela

Legacy, Color, Indie, Canon

There are no black women geniuses that are being named in canons. I could name a bunch, but it's not part of common knowledge. It's not how the world is taught to think about black women.

- Kelela

Think, Could, Named, Canon

The whole thing about 'progressive R&B' blows my mind. Black music has always been progressive.

- Kelela

Mind, Always, Been, Progressive

Something that I think extends to a lot of African cultures is that the line between performer and audience is blurry. My mom would lead the wedding song regularly, and she isn't a professional singer. Even as an audience member, you're expected to clap and sing the response to the lead.

- Kelela

Singer, Line, I Think, Clap

Before I collaborate, it's important that I have a conversation about what I care about before we make anything, so that it's very clear.

- Kelela

Before, Very, About, Collaborate

To me, the best writing points to something literal or common but is also nuanced: The moment when somebody is telling you they love you while simultaneously disappointing you. Everybody's experienced that.

- Kelela

Love, Everybody, Telling, Simultaneously

Most artists are going into the studio for a fixed period of time, and they say that's their album. I can't relate, because I've never made music in that way. I come from a culture of editing and remixing.

- Kelela

Music, Studio, Relate, Fixed

Anyone who understands anti-racist work, a white person specifically, understands that it is not black people's responsibility, or any person of color's responsibility, to dismantle the structures that keep white people in positions of power. We do our job to thrive, to survive. To protect ourselves, to sit together and feel better and to heal.

- Kelela

Color, Feel, Our, Heal

The act of me just being robust in the world is so radical - it's so radical for a black woman to think she's going to be a star, because it takes so much to get there. It's still a battle every day, but I feel happy because I feel like I cracked the code and figured out how to work through it. Now I want to give the map to other women.

- Kelela

Woman, Through, Other, Map

Most of my friends, growing up, were upper-middle-class white kids, so it was a different reality at home both culturally and linguistically. It created a lot of insecurities for me, but it also did a lot of amazing things that I didn't know were happening at the time.

- Kelela

Amazing, Growing, Lot, Amazing Things

How much closer can I get to the common ear, the mainstream, and how much it can still be from this other world, this other place? That's the line I keep trying to tread but have my wings extend more on both sides.

- Kelela

Both Sides, Other, Line, Tread

Music in the U.K. is not racialised in the same way as it is in the U.S. In the U.S.. it's more rigid and conservative. And white people in the U.K. have more close proximity with black people and people of colour in general.

- Kelela

Black, Conservative, More, Proximity

I am not carefree. I'm just not. I experience an immense amount of joy, a crazy amount of joy through sadness and so much struggle. There's something problematic about 'carefree black girl.'

- Kelela

Through, Carefree, Amount, Immense

It's gratifying to hear something familiar and challenging at the same time.

- Kelela

Same, Familiar, Same Time, Gratifying

The goal is to blow the audience's mind.

- Kelela

Mind, Goal, Audience, Blow

My first reaction to being pigeonholed or pushed into certain confines is to be like, 'No, I'm the opposite,' you know? Like, don't put me in a stereotypical black-girl category, because I'm not like that; I'm doing this thing over here.

- Kelela

Doing, Here, Stereotypical, Category

'Seat at the Table' has expressed real adversity, struggle, and also triumph and joy.

- Kelela

Adversity, Triumph, Seat, Struggle

No one is making extraordinary things alone. They might be alone in their bedroom while they're recording or writing, but they didn't actually conjure that thing out of nothing - without influence - without assistance - without anything.

- Kelela

Nothing, Making, Might, Conjure

I like smart rappers who aren't necessarily trying to be deeper than you, like Danny Brown.

- Kelela

Smart, Like, Brown, Danny

I was in school studying International Studies and Sociology. I was really into what was going on in school. I was affected by the ideas and engaged as a student, but not disciplined or motivated enough to do the work. That was a fear of mine for a while, that nothing was motivating.

- Kelela

Motivating, Engaged, Mine, International

When I called 'Cut 4 Me' a mixtape, I was thinking about a few elements: One is used instrumentals. The project is more centered around introducing you to an artist; it's not meant to be seminal. It's 'Hi,' 'Hello,' a thing that you first hear.

- Kelela

Hi, Centered, Cut, Meant To Be

There's definitely a push and a pull to 'legitimize' electronic music live by playing the same way that a band would play.

- Kelela

Play, Push, Way, Electronic Music

At the end of the day, I would like to have the farthest reach in terms of being able to communicate to as many people as possible. So it's not that I enjoy being obscure; it's that I sonically don't want to be situated here or there.

- Kelela

Communicate, Here, Like, Situated

I'm pushing back against the white, misogynistic, heterosexual establishment in the music industry. Like, literally, in all its forms.

- Kelela

Against, Like, Literally, Forms

When I was growing up... I'm not going to say I listened to everything, but when it comes to vocals, I was really adamant about imitating all kinds of voices.

- Kelela

Going, Voices, About, Vocals

I'm very into familiar things, popular things. I'm into things that no one seems to know about or be into. I'm trying to draw a line between those two things and make it clear... that it all makes sense to me. That it's not disparate. That it's all one thing inside me.

- Kelela

Line, Very, Familiar Things, Disparate

You can never have enough reinforcements, resources for black women to thrive in the world. The topic has been addressed a million times before, but it will never end because what we're up against keeps morphing, and we have to figure out how to beat it.

- Kelela

Against, Been, Before, Thrive

It's been hard for me to nail visual language and personal style because I like so many different things.

- Kelela

Like, Been, Nail, Different Things

I don't write lyrics. I hear the track and sing in gibberish over it, then I try and fit words into the phrasing and melody that I already have set. Everything is left to chance.

- Kelela

Over, Over It, Set, Lyrics

That's pretty much how every song of mine works - I start with gibberish and melody and phrasing. I speak it naturally first. And then I think about lyrics that fit into that.

- Kelela

Song, Think, Mine, Lyrics

A black woman's handbook in this industry is, 'Whoa.' The chapter on 'Don't go there.' The chapter on 'How to say that nicely,' how to express that you don't like something so that you don't lose the opportunity - which is what we're doing all day long.

- Kelela

Doing, Chapter, Nicely, Whoa

It is very rare that I am just coming up with melodies off the top of my head. I usually am responding to something - it could be chains dragging on the floor - but I am usually responding to something.

- Kelela

Chains, Melodies, Very, Dragging

I know my ticket is vulnerability. Most people point to some emotional experience, some hardship, some high or low when they talk about my music... a time when they need to feel those feelings more.

- Kelela

Need, Some, Ticket, Feelings

I want to soundtrack people's layered feelings.

- Kelela

People, Want, Soundtrack, Feelings

I just want to shed light, illuminate and turn the spotlight over to all of the black people who have been being futuristic and innovative since instruments were plugged into a wall. With computers, machines, and music, black people have been contributing to that a great deal for a long time.

- Kelela

Deal, Been, Shed, Machines

I have something stupid, like, 12 credits, to graduate.

- Kelela

Stupid, Like, Graduate, Credits

When I was little, my parents would have these gatherings, and it was a common thing for me and my cousins to have to put on, like, shows.

- Kelela

Like, Shows, Put, Gatherings

After it became clear that I was not going to graduate, I had this moment where I was like, 'I need to not sulk. I need to pursue - at least try - to pursue music. But if I don't try, I'm going to be a really bitter middle-aged lady working in a cubicle.'

- Kelela

Had, Became, Least, Middle-Aged

I do like things the way that I like them. But I'm trying not to be - I don't wanna be that way. I'm not a control freak; I wanna protect my agency. It's a weird question as a black woman.

- Kelela

Woman, Question, Agency, Control Freak

I would say Tracy Chapman was the first time I obsessed over an entire record. I knew every song; I knew the exact amount of seconds between each song. That's the level of obsession that I had.

- Kelela

Song, Over, Amount, Exact

I want to speak in the tradition of rhythm and blues and soul music, but also push how it's dressed and how it's delivered to the audience. And hopefully that gets embraced by as many people as possible, but the goal isn't necessarily to speak to everyone. The goal is to get it out as exact as it is in my head.

- Kelela

Soul, Blues, Delivered, Exact

In Maryland, I didn't grow up around poor white people. Where I grew up, the white people were middle class or upper-middle class. It's interesting how screwed up it is in reality, because most people who receive assistance from the government are white, but not in my head or in my experience.

- Kelela

Maryland, Around, Assistance, Middle Class

I've talked about that with friends, about what genre makes sense to choose for each record and the strategy around that... Sometimes it's more about the moment of time, and other times it's more about the sound of the song. Sometimes it's about what's going on in larger life, in politics.

- Kelela

Politics, Other, Larger, Strategy

I'm interested in bridging and filling in space that hasn't already been filled, so when it comes to making music, I've just always wanted to be able to reference things that producers in the big pop major label context do, without compromising the entire sound of the record.

- Kelela

Big, Been, Major Label, Context

'Take Me Apart' doesn't feel cohesive in a singular way but in a varied way. You can fixate on individual songs, and there are references from all over the place: Anita Baker to Bjork. I wanted to show all the facets of myself.

- Kelela

Feel, References, Show, Apart

I remember the day I first heard what Timbaland and Aaliyah did - that intersection of her pretty voice and his weird, resonant production. I remember where I was and what I was doing. It was a major situation. We're trying to continue that legacy.

- Kelela

Voice, Doing, I Remember, Intersection

In the music industry, you can't create success without having to engage a white man. It's just not possible. Whether it's executives, A&Rs, and the people that hold the key to your paper, inevitably, you'll be met with whiteness.

- Kelela

Without, Industry, Your, Key

Innovating something that is familiar. That's the general approach, and that's what I want to do with the melody as well. It should ring true - you should like every melody sequence without knowing what's happening next.

- Kelela

Ring, Next, Like, Sequence

Popular music was this abstraction - an abstraction that I was relating to immensely but was ultimately far away.

- Kelela

Music, Far Away, Away, Popular

We don't want it to be obscure music. We're not trying to be indie. We want to be popular.

- Kelela

Music, Obscure, Indie, Popular

When it comes to melodies, production, and sound in pop music, people try to be formulaic and solely concerned with what's resonant in a way that is so cheap and ugly. It actually just devolves culture, ultimately.

- Kelela

Melodies, Resonant, Pop Music

Growing up in an Ethiopian household allowed me to feel like I had an audience before I had an audience.

- Kelela

Audience, Like, Before, Household

I'm finding out what part of punk culture or white indie culture I actually still want to hold onto - What are the values? What are the contributions that I actually like? - and it not coming from a place of desperation or wanting to be embraced or wanting approval, essentially.

- Kelela

Wanting, Indie, Part, Contributions

As a black woman, there's so much pride and communication through hair. It's naturally something that you are excited to embellish on and be creative about.

- Kelela

Woman, Excited, Through, Embellish

As a black person on the outside, because there's so much black art and so much of black people's work circulating, so many people imitating what black people do, you would think that there'd be more black people on the business side. It didn't cross my mind that every label head, for the most part, is a white guy.

- Kelela

Head, Guy, Part, So Many People

I don't care about the underground, even if that's where I'm currently residing sonically.

- Kelela

About, Residing, Currently, Underground

The assumption is simply that I hit on all the things I've hit on so far by accident, that my talent is just this raw thing that pours out of me, and then white people feel like they have to come in and contain it, refine it, and bring it to the place where it can been released.

- Kelela

Feel, Bring, Been, Accident

I'm just trying to soundtrack your real life. I'm just trying to give you a place to feel safe in all the parts of your experience.

- Kelela

Give, Feel, Soundtrack, Real Life

I'd like to change what people expect. I want to evoke something that's not nameable, for people to go, 'Huh?'

- Kelela

Change, Want, Like, Evoke

Self-care is a requirement.

- Kelela

Requirement

It's such a challenging time, and in my small way, I will make it so that other younger women, and maybe older women, will be able to do the things they want to do, and accept themselves and their experience.

- Kelela

Small, Will, Other, Older

I've grown up feeling very American but being constantly bothered by people - there's internalized racism and feeling weird about being second-generation.

- Kelela

Racism, Very, About, Bothered

We are - as artists, we are racialized through genre and called black - without being called black - through genre.

- Kelela

Black, Through, Artists, Genre

It definitely feels different to perform to people who know your music. Because people's feedback is not just, 'Oh my God, that was amazing. Who are you?'

- Kelela

Feels, Perform, Your, Oh My God

I guess the bottom line is I don't make music that is consumed en masse.

- Kelela

Music, Consumed, Guess, Bottom Line

I'm definitely seeking to challenge tropes.

- Kelela

Challenge, Definitely, Seeking

Sounding like I have agency in a song is important to me. I want to feel empowered by the music.

- Kelela

Music, Song, Important, Agency

I would say there is a zone of R&B that hadn't been quite innovative.

- Kelela

Zone, Been, Would, Innovative

I spent a lot of time in college. I was just being academic and discovering myself through reason and analysis.

- Kelela

College, Reason, Through, Analysis

My queer black women peers are the ones who make me not feel crazy. The way we act is so instinctive.

- Kelela

Black, Peers, Queer, Instinctive

Fog and one blue light is all I need in life at the club. Just a dark room and loud music. I'm into that.

- Kelela

Life, Need, Loud, Club

I think my worst enemy was myself. It's like I've been in my own way more than anybody else has been.

- Kelela

Think, Been, I Think, Anybody Else

I am your homegirl, at the end of the day, but I also feel very... outside. So if you're finding solace in feeling outside with me, then we're good to go.

- Kelela

Go, Feel, Very, Finding

Sometimes I learn by someone giving me warnings and giving me advice about what to do next. And other times, a lot of times, I have to put my hand into the fire.

- Kelela

Learn, Next, Other, Warnings

I want to empower.

- Kelela

Want, Empower

My music sounds like one synergised thing, one message.

- Kelela

Music, Like, Sounds, Message

Growing up, Missy Elliot and Janet Jackson were definitely major references.

- Kelela

Growing Up, Growing, Jackson, Major

There is this feeling among black artists that you have to be really careful. We're not inclined to talk about this stuff because, if we do, we put ourselves in a position where we're not marketable or where we can't win.

- Kelela

Black, Careful, About, Position

I'm quite scrutinous when it comes to who I put myself in the room with.

- Kelela

Myself, Room, Put, Quite

When I started making songs, some of them read as mixtape-y, and some of them read as album-y.

- Kelela

Some, Making, Read, Songs

I don't want you to feel defeated, like, 'Oh boy, why do you do this to me?' We have too many of those songs.

- Kelela

Want, Feel, Like, Defeated

I really do like Solange, sincerely. I'm down for her, and I trust her judgment.

- Kelela

Trust, Her, Judgment, Sincerely

I know deep down I'm a star.

- Kelela

Deep, Star, Know, Deep Down

I'm coming from the zone of Faith Evans, but with weird production.

- Kelela

Faith, Weird, Zone, Production

I would love to do an album of standards!

- Kelela

Love, Album, Would, Standards

The most rewarding thing for someone like me is for someone else to find solace through my music.

- Kelela

Music, Through, Most, Rewarding

Even on my most angry song, I'm also still saying, 'Thank you for helping me to learn.' I've always wanted to give voice to that complexity in our experience.

- Kelela

Voice, Song, Always, Thank

I've always had this commitment to not being in one thing.

- Kelela

Commitment, Always, Had, One Thing

I like to try out different methods to get to good songs.

- Kelela

Like, Songs, Get, Methods

I think I'm taking risks and putting myself out there.

- Kelela

Think, I Think, Putting, Risks

As much as we like to pretend we're just getting on stage and whatever, it's like, no, I practiced in front of the mirror my whole life.

- Kelela

Mirror, Like, Whole, Pretend

I'm just tryna be honest about all the things that I dig in my music. It's not just this over here, it's also that over there.

- Kelela

Here, Over, About, Dig

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