Kele Okereke released his first solo album, titled The Boxer on 21 June 2010, through Wichita / Polydor in the UK and Europe and Glassnote Records for the rest of the world. The album was released under the name Kele, dropping his surname. Okereke explained the album title, saying "as a boxer, you have to rely on nobody else but yourself to achieve what it is you want to achieve. Even though you take hits, you have to keep focus on your priorities and keep going. I thought that was an inspiring image". The first single from the album Tenderoni was released on 14 June 2010.
Okereke sees the 'Kele' brand as a way for him to embrace his interest in dance music. "I've been into clubbing for years. I've said from the beginning I'm into dance, it gets me excited and I think this record is going to go some way to prove that to people, hopefully." - Kele Okereke
In September 2011 it was announced that Kele would be releasing a follow up to The Boxer; an EP titled The Hunter.
On 23 July 2014 Kele announced his second solo album, entitled Trick, to be released on his own label Lilac Records via Kobalt Label Services on 13 October 2014.
He released his third album Fatherland on 6 October 2017 under his full name Kele Okereke. The album features the singles Streets Been Talking and Grounds For Resentment feat. Olly Alexander. Fatherland also features the duet Versions of Us with Grammy-winning English singer and songwriter Corinne Bailey Rea
In January 2019, Leave to Remain a new musical written by Okereke and Matt Jones debuted in London. Announced in September 2018, the musical about an interracial gay couple was preceded by the single Not the Drugs Talking which showed a move back towards beats following the more acoustic Fatherland. Telling a love story through the Prism of Brexit, the new show is accompanied by a tie-in album of new songs. Speaking about the subject matter and his feelings on the UK in 2019, Okereke claimed that “It’s not a time that I’ve been proud to be British. It’s an ugly time”.
www.iamkele.com
Everything You Wanted
Kele Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can tell that something has changed
I see the pain written over your face
And I know I pushed you too far
If you want to leave me
You must know one thing
Everything you wanted, everything you needed
I could have given you
Everything you wanted, everything you needed
I could have given you
Everything you wanted, everything you needed
I could have given you
Everything you wanted, everything you needed
I know times, I am lost and gone
I am told I'm only half dead
But you were there in my thoughts
In my head, in my heart above the left side
I know the time for us has past
But you must know one thing
I could have given you
Everything you wanted, everything you needed
I could have given you
Everything you wanted, everything you needed
I could have given you
Everything you wanted, everything you needed
I could have given you
Everything you wanted, everything you needed
And I say, dale, dale, I'm a dido
Finding it hard to breathe
And I say, dale, dale, I'm a dido
Finding it hard to breathe
I say, dale, dale, I'm a dido
Finding it hard to breathe
And I say, dale, dale, I'm a dido
Finding it hard to breathe
I could have given you
Everything you wanted, everything you needed
I could have given you
Everything you wanted, everything you needed
I could have given you
Everything you wanted, everything you needed
I could have given you
Everything you wanted, everything you needed
The song "Everything You Wanted" by Kele begins by describing an empty hallway with bags indicating that something has changed. The pain on a person's face is evident displaying that the other person has pushed them too far causing them to want to leave. The chorus repeats the phrase "I could have given you everything you wanted, everything you needed," emphasizing the disappointment the singer feels in themselves for not meeting the other person's expectations. In the second verse, the singer admits to being lost and half-dead but grateful that the other person is still present in his thoughts and heart. Although the singer knows that the time for them might have passed, he admits that he could have given them everything they wanted and needed. The bridge features the phrase "Dale, Dale, I'm a dido, finding it hard to breathe," serving as a thematic connection with the rest of the song.
Overall, the song is about regret, disappointment, and the realization that something you could have done differently would have made a difference in someone's life. The singer has identified that they could have been everything the other person had needed and wanted from them, but their actions have caused the other person to want to leave. The song has a melancholic tone, typical of Kele's style, and the instrumentation and heavy bass reflect the mood of the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
I see the bags in the empty hallway
I notice your belongings packed in the deserted corridor
I can tell that something has changed
I sense a difference in the atmosphere
I see the pain written over your face
I observe the misery reflected on your countenance
And I know I pushed you too far
I understand that my actions caused you anguish and despair
If you want to leave me
In case you desire to separate from me
You must know one thing
There's something you should be aware of
I could have given you Everything you wanted, everything you needed
I had the ability to offer you all your desires and requirements
I know times, I am lost and gone
I'm cognizant of the moments when I'm bewildered and absent
I am told I'm only half dead
Others have informed me that I'm barely alive
But you were there in my thoughts
However, you always crossed my mind
In my head, in my heart above the left side
You were present in my memory and emotions
I know the time for us has past
I recognize that the period for us is over
And I say, dale, dale, I'm a dido
And I proclaim, dale, dale, I'm defeated and depleted
Finding it hard to breathe
Struggling to inhale air
I could have given you Everything you wanted, everything you needed
I could have provided you with all you requested and necessitated
I could have given you Everything you wanted, everything you needed
I could have given you everything you desired and required
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: KELE OKEREKE, ALEX XXXCHANGE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@lolzomfgaaron
Still listening to this years later and it’s an understatement to say how much Kele’s music has got me through.
@jacksephton7890
Same here, can't imagine not having had his music
@neilwilliams7376
I still come here year after year because this song is fantastic.
@R002ss
I love this song. I think Kele did a great job. It's just beautiful...
@WhereMyWitchesAt
i heard this in forever 21 . i instantly fell in love with the song , lol
@dale_roots
I met Kele in Sydney after Bloc Party's 2008 gig at the Hordern. He was the nicest guy you will ever meet: one of nature's true gentlemen. I was 19 at the time, and Bloc's music had spoken to me and gotten me through some very tough times personally, and he told me that writing and recording had done the same for him. This whole album is awesome, as anything else he or Bloc Party releases in the future will be. God bless Kele.
@wecameasthor
A brilliant artist and a brilliant man! your music inspired me when i was younger and still does to this day, whatever derogatory things people think of you means nothing, you're incredible and there are more people who love you for your honesty and creativity than those who don't know any better, than to throw abuse at you. Please keep making beautiful music! Thank you
@I-SelfLordAndMaster
being a good man just doesn't get away from the fact that the music is pure shiiiite
@shendiankaruzyana2629
Suka bgt lgunya
@cryingbeatle
Awesome song and video! So nice to see an out and proud singer of African descent, who is as talented and sexy as Kele! His solo album is wonderful.