49 Kelela Quotes for You to Enjoy

Me People Accident White Assumption Released Out Raw Simply Contain Feel Talent Come Like Been Refine Hit Just Where Place Far Then Thing Things Bring

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

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

Music History You People World Punk Looking White Radical Music Industry Considered Embracing See Indie More Color Point Like Industry Praised Still Lot Legacy Prized The History Of Canon Interested Your Things

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

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

Work Day Me Woman Happy Women Every Day Battle World Black Radical Every Think Other Out Give Through Takes Feel Like She Because Robust How Still Cracked Get Going Just Being Want Much Act Figured Map Star Code Now

'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

Myself Me You Way Facets Varied Individual Take Songs Feel Over Baker Singular References Wanted Place Apart Show Cohesive

I know deep down I'm a star. Kelela

Down Know Deep Deep Down Star

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

Stupid Something Like Graduate Credits

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

Day Writing Better Focus Feeling Other Out Neither More Perfect Write Remedy Simply Feel Involve Heal Parts Dealing Making Forfeit Get Often Either Working Cope Things

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

Music Culture People Ugly Try Resonant Way Solely Melodies Cheap Concerned Sound Ultimately Just Pop Pop Music Production Actually

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

Conversation Care Important Before Collaborate About Clear Make Very Anything

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

You Every Approach Melody Ring Something General True Like Knowing Well Without Familiar Want Happening Next Should Sequence

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

Rare Top Melodies Responding Something Could Head Am Coming Off Up Very Just Chains Floor Dragging

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

Music Together Important Think Sides Those Possibility Both Both Sides Generosity Make Going Biggest Realize Produce Us Who Actually

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

Music People Conservative Black White Way Rigid General More Colour Close Close Proximity Proximity Same

It means so much to be able to share myself with the world. Kelela

Myself World Able Share Much Means

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

Government Class Experience Reality People White Maryland Head Most Because Around How Were Up Middle Where Middle Class Grew Screwed Screwed-Up Interesting Poor Who Grow Grow Up Receive Assistance

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

Faith Weird Coming Production Zone

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

Care About Underground Currently Where Even Residing

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