First recognized as a member of the children’s music group Kidz Bop, Kiana Ledé surprised many with her bold personality and incredible vocal skills. She later went on to release her 2018 EP Selfless, with its beautiful blend of acoustic R&B and effortlessly attentive melodies, but she aimed for a more commercialized vision with the release of her debut album KIKI.
Kiana opens “Cancelled,” the first track of her album, by sampling a quote made by famous content creator Jasmine Orlando, otherwise known as ‘Shawty Bae’. “I am a single queen, you know the f*cking vibes. F*ck men these days, f*ck them all. They will hurt everyone’s feelings and f*ck them all,” Orlando says. On the surface, it’s an aggressive statement, one that would throw off many. But the intensity of such a statement sets the stage for a very powerful album progression.
KIKI’s theme relies on the insufferable pain and newly found self-confidence that comes after heartbreak. On “Labels,” Kiana teams up with Moneybagg Yo and BIA for a hip-hop/R&B track that explicitly states, “I ain’t wasting no more time on these labels / I done gave your a** my heart, and you played with it,” insinuating the lack of commitment and reciprocation from her partner. This track uses a loop of a synthesizer riff and a simple drum machine beat to create a catchy melody. “Attention” stands out among the other tracks because of its acoustic consistency. Along with the rawness of Kiana’s voice, she uses a piano melody and its dynamics to dramatize the pain and aggression she felt while writing the track. “No there ain’t no way, I can’t let you win / there could be no reason, ain’t nothin’ that you did,” the lyrics express as the instrumental reaches a forte.
Similarly, “No Takebacks” uses a soft and redundant guitar tone to reduce the track’s intensity. It’s not until Kiana says, “What you say, you can’t take back, no takebacks,” that the instrumental picks up with a bass guitar and piano chords to support the acute feeling she experienced having to plead with her partner. The album’s lead single, “Mad At Me,” a sample of OutKast’s “So Fresh, So Clean,” details Kiana’s dealing with hatred for her success post-breakup. “I been on my hot sh*t lately, can’t be mad at me / you been on some f*ck sh*t lately, can’t be mad at me,” she sings in the chorus.
KIKI hosts some of the most honest lyrics I’ve ever heard. Although there is quite a bit of profanity, I believe it heavily contributes to the album’s emotional intensity. This album is much different from Kiana’s typical acoustic R&B, a feeling that is often compared to other artists like SZA or Summer Walker. This is because she chose to conform to modern R&B and use layered percussion styles and 90s/00s samples. I have taken a strong interest in Kiana’s vocal performance. I can’t wait to watch her evolve as an artist and produce tracks much like the ones heard on her debut album KIKI.