Track of the week - latley by Kiki Rowe
Track of the week
Kiki Rowe’s
“lately” speaks to the experience that comes with relationships that everyone dreads and hopes it skips past them, but more often than not, becomes a canon event that follows falling in love. Entering the song and hearing the absolute range and depth that is presented by Kiki’s voice is breath taking and sets the scene for what is about to be a rollecoaster of emotions and a presentation that is hard to forget. Taking a softer and more gentle approach to the production allows for the voice to take the front stage and lead the way to the audience of dread and disappointment that comes with opening one's heart and shedding the curtain of vulnerability to another. Love is complicated and is paired with an endless amount of waiting, this being from having to wait for change or begging for it to even be considered. Allowing for the emotions to live in the foreground, it gives a voice to the experience of others, creating raw emotions with both the self and the audience.
The biggest standout for this song would have to be the ability to create a story and have the audience both relate to it but also be hooked on to hear it out till the very end. The storytelling within this song is something that can be defined as the consequences of love. It is raw, and it is the feeling of constantly having to wait to see what needs to be done and changed. As well as the realization that you will be better off outside of love and that being alone is much better for one's sense than to constantly live in a world of uncertainty and disappointment. This is a story that is not only experienced by women but it was ideally presented by Kiki with a feminine perspective behind it. Everyone is disappointed by love and everyone takes this disappointment in a different light, Kiki was able to tell a story that it is okay to leave that disappointment and find space for ones owns best interest and self healing.
Kiki has proved that she is in tune with herself as well as her voice all throught the song. Her voice is the main instrument in this song, and it is placed ideally at the forefront of everything in this song. It shows her raw talent as she shows off the emphasis of what her vocal range consists of and how broad it can be on the vocal scale. It is hard to find that talent within the modern music scene. Taking in and hearing pure talent was honestly a treat that everyone wants when hearing and taking in what the song provides. Using her voice as the main vocals as well as the background vocals feels like two sets of emotions are supporting each other to make the final realization of leaving, which is further expanded on in the lyrics. By allowing the background to be very soft and gentle, it allows for everything else to feel as genuine as it needs to be to create the perfect depth and definition to express the negatives of something so beautiful.
What does it feel like to be in love, and what triggers a person to fall out of love in a flash? I think this song was able to capture both aspects of that feeling. Falling out of love due to being forced to wait in a pool of disappointment can be suffocating, with the only healthy conclusion being the realization it leaving is all the person can do. Kiki Rowe’s “lately” has been a perfect addition to the r&b scene that feels like it focuses on love and not the harsh reality that love can bring after the honey moon stage. This song speaks to reality and doesn't stray away from hitting the high notes in both her voice as well as her storytelling. Being a new voice that should be on one's radar and in one's R&B playlist.
Written by Chris Mxri
