Kristine Meredith Flaherty (born June 30, 1985), better known as K.Flay, is… Read Full Bio ↴Kristine Meredith Flaherty (born June 30, 1985), better known as K.Flay, is an American singer, songwriter, and rapper. Her debut album Life as a Dog was released in 2014, peaking on Billboard's Heatseekers Albums chart at No. 2 and Billboard's Rap Albums chart at No. 14. In 2016, she signed with Interscope Records as the first artist signed to Dan Reynolds' Night Street Records imprint. She was nominated for two awards at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards: Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical (for Every Where Is Some Where), and Best Rock Song (for "Blood in the Cut").

.Flay was born Kristine Meredith Flaherty in Wilmette, Illinois, on June 30, 1985. She attended nearby New Trier High School. When she was seven, her parents divorced and her mother remarried soon after, bringing in a stepbrother and a stepsister. When she was 14 years old, her biological father—a guitarist who loved all musical genres—died of undisclosed causes related to his alcoholism; many of her songs include references to him. Flaherty's stepfather helped raise her and later adopted her. She has described herself as a tomboy during childhood, preferring baggier clothing and rejecting "all things girly". In 2003, she enrolled at Stanford University, pursuing a double major in psychology and sociology. According to Flaherty, many people she met during her time at Stanford influenced her musical style.

K.Flay began her music career in 2003, believing that most hip-hop hits on the radio were "simplistic, misogynistic and formulaic". After bragging to a friend that she could write similar songs, she wrote "Blingity Blang Blang", which she described as a "low-budget rap parody that contained far too many obscenities". After writing and performing the song, Flaherty realized that she enjoyed writing and recording music. She continued to experiment with music by writing songs and performing and recording them on her computer. She released a mixtape called Suburban Rap Queen in 2005, which she produced on her laptop, and began performing.

In 2010, K.Flay released her self-titled EP, and in 2011 self-released the mixtape I Stopped Caring in '96, which she later remarked was a career turning point. K.Flay signed with RCA Records in 2012, releasing two EPs: Eyes Shut in 2012, with songs produced by Liam Howlett from the British band The Prodigy, and What If It Is in 2013. She parted ways with RCA Records in 2013 because of differences of opinion. Upon leaving RCA Records, she left behind more than 60 songs she had written while signed under RCA Records, but no longer owned the rights to. K.Flay has described her time with RCA Records as similar to "an ill-advised marriage".

In late April 2014, K.Flay announced the release of her album Life as a Dog, by offering fans the ability to pre-order via PledgeMusic, reaching 196 percent of her initial goal. She wanted the project to be "DIY [and] self-motivated". It was recorded and produced in New York City, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, with the final mix produced at San Francisco's Different Fur.

Life as a Dog was released independently on June 10, 2014. The album reached No. 14 on the Billboard Rap Albums chart and No. 2 on the Billboard Heatseekers Albums chart. K.Flay toured extensively once the album was released, including headlining a tour and joining tours with AWOLNATION, Third Eye Blind, and Dashboard Confessional in 2014. In 2014 and 2015 she toured Germany, France, and other European countries. K.Flay also performed on the Warped Tour in 2014, saying that it "was almost like an exercise in becoming a better performer".

In 2015, K.Flay collaborated with Louis the Child on their song "It's Strange". The single was praised by Taylor Swift, who added "It's Strange" as one of her "Songs That Will Make Life Awesome" list and was featured on the FIFA 16 soundtrack. The song peaked at number 38 on the Billboard Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart. On March 25, 2016, K.Flay released her single "FML". Later that year, K.Flay announced she had signed to Interscope Records as the first artist signed to Dan Reynolds' Night Street Records imprint. Her EP Crush Me was released 10 days later on August 19. The EP's song "Blood in the Cut" appeared on the soundtrack for XXX: Return of Xander Cage, Netflix's original series BoJack Horseman (season 4, episode 6), and in a 2017 NFL promo commercial drive.

K.Flay's album Every Where Is Some Where was released on April 7, 2017. The album's first single, "High Enough", was released in March 2017. She was the opening act for the North American and European legs of Imagine Dragons' Evolve Tour. In September 2017, Flay released the book Crush Me, a compilation of notes received from fans. At the 60th Annual Grammy Awards, "Blood in the Cut" received a nomination for Best Rock Song, and Every Where Is Some Where was nominated for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical.

On March 1, 2019, K.Flay announced that she was working on her third studio album and released a lyric video for its first single, "Bad Vibes". On March 19, the official music video for "Bad Vibes" was released.[35] On April 29, K.Flay revealed that the new album would be titled Solutions and announced the Solutions Tour. The album was released on July 12, 2019.

In December 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, K.Flay released a three-track EP called Don't Judge a Song by Its Cover which saw her covering "Break Stuff" by Limp Bizkit, "Self Esteem" by The Offspring, and "Brain Stew" by Green Day.

In April 2021, K.Flay announced that a five-track EP called Inside Voices would be released on June 11. The first song from the EP, "Four Letter Words", was released with a music video on April 23. The second song, "TGIF" featuring Tom Morello on guitar, was released with an animated visual on May 21.

In early 2021, K.Flay began live streaming on Twitch; she uses the platform to interact with fans, host live interviews with other musicians, and create and mix original songs in real-time. She also performed at the 2021 Grey Cup halftime show with Arkells and The Lumineers.'' On November 19, 2021, K.Flay released a second five-track EP entitled Outside Voices. The EP's first single, "Nothing Can Kill Us", was released on October 15, 2021; its accompanying music video was released on November 4. A second single, "Weirdo", was released on November 17, two days before the release of the EP. On February 4, 2022, K.Flay's fourth studio album Inside Voices / Outside Voices, was released. The album combines the Inside Voices and Outside Voices EPs along with two additional tracks, "The Muck", and "Good To Drive"

K.Flay has cited a wide range of musicians such as Royal Blood, Missy Elliott, Garbage, Lauryn Hill, Tame Impala, Jeremih, Metric, M.I.A., OutKast, Liz Phair, Cat Power, and Shlohmo as influences. Her work has covered genres including hip-hop, alternative hip-hop, indie, and pop-rock. She has described her sound as "genre-defying" and draws from lo-fi pop and hip-hop with a strong indie component in her sound.

Ice Cream
K.Flay Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

This isn't math, it's a paragraph
It's a pot of gold in a garbage can
Should've seen the signs at Christmastime
When the mistletoe didn't make you want to make out

Honey, here's the fuckin' truth
You'd rather be with her, and
I'd rather be with you

Oh, baby, this is the end of times
You want to call it often
I want to call you mine

You are my ice cream
You make my brain freeze
You are my ice cream
You make my brain freeze

This isn't nice, it's a bath of ice
It's an open book with no words inside
I was so naive, I was so deceived
When I found out that adults are very confused

Honey, here's the fuckin' truth
You'd rather be with her, and
I'd rather be with you
Oh, baby, this is the end of times
You want to call it often
I want to call you mine

You are my ice cream
You make my brain freeze
You are my ice cream
You make my brain freeze

If I let you go, I know you'll go, so I'll hold tightly
Lost my self-control one year ago, I feel like fighting
If I let you go, I know you'll go, so I'll hold tightly
Lost my self-control one year ago, I feel like fighting

You are my ice cream
You make my brain freeze
You are my ice cream
You make my brain freeze

This isn't math, it's a paragraph
It's a pot of gold in a garbage can

Should've seen the signs at Christmastime
When the mistletoe didn't make you want to make out

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to K.Flay's song "Ice Cream" explore the complexities of a romantic relationship that is falling apart. The lyrics metaphorically compare the relationship to various elements, creating a sense of contradiction and confusion.

The opening lines suggest that the situation at hand is not easily understandable or solvable. This is described as "not math, but a paragraph" and "a pot of gold in a garbage can," implying that there are valuable aspects within the relationship, but they are overshadowed by the messiness and difficulties.

The mention of Christmas and mistletoe not leading to desired affection highlights the lack of emotional connection between the two individuals involved. It's a sign that their romance has faded or become stagnant, and the singer feels ignored or left behind.

The chorus repeats the lines "You are my ice cream, you make my brain freeze," using ice cream as a metaphor for the bittersweet nature of the relationship. Ice cream is typically associated with pleasure and enjoyment, but here it causes the brain to freeze, symbolizing confusion or emotional turmoil.

Overall, the lyrics convey a sense of disillusionment and longing for a connection that is no longer present. The singer acknowledges that the other person would rather be with someone else, while they themselves still hold onto their feelings. It's a depiction of the end of a relationship, where both parties are aware of the impending breakup but are facing it with conflicting emotions.

Line by Line Meaning

This isn't math, it's a paragraph
This situation is not straightforward or logical, it is complex and convoluted

It's a pot of gold in a garbage can
It is a rare and valuable thing amidst a sea of worthless or undesirable things

Should've seen the signs at Christmastime
There were indications or clues during the holiday season that something was not right

When the mistletoe didn't make you want to make out
The romantic traditions and gestures failed to ignite desire or passion in the relationship

Honey, here's the fuckin' truth
My dear, here is the blunt and honest reality

You'd rather be with her, and
You prefer to be with another person

I'd rather be with you
I would rather be in a relationship with you

Oh, baby, this is the end of times
This is a time of crisis or upheaval in our relationship

You want to call it often
You want to end the relationship frequently

I want to call you mine
I want to claim you as my own and have a committed relationship

You are my ice cream
You bring me joy, pleasure, and happiness

You make my brain freeze
You captivate and overwhelm my thoughts and emotions

This isn't nice, it's a bath of ice
This situation is not enjoyable or pleasant, it is emotionally cold and uncomfortable

It's an open book with no words inside
It is a transparent or apparent situation that lacks meaningful substance or communication

I was so naive, I was so deceived
I was innocent and easily fooled by appearances or false promises

When I found out that adults are very confused
When I discovered that grown-ups also struggle with understanding or making sense of life

If I let you go, I know you'll go, so I'll hold tightly
If I allow you to leave, I am aware that you will leave for good, so I will hold on tightly to our relationship

Lost my self-control one year ago, I feel like fighting
I lost my ability to maintain composure or restrain myself a year ago, and now I feel compelled to confront and battle against the circumstances

Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Kristine Flaherty, Nick Long, Tom Schleiter

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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