Early life and education
A second-generation Ethiopian American and an only child, Mizanekristos was born in Washington, D.C., on June 4, 1983.[6] Growing up in Gaithersburg, Maryland, she learned to play the violin in fourth grade and sang in her school's choir.[7] In 2001, she graduated from Magruder High School.[7][8] After transferring from Montgomery College to the American University, Mizanekristos began singing jazz standards at cafés.[7] In 2008, she joined an indie band called Dizzy Spells and sang progressive metal after meeting Tosin Abasi, whom she later dated. In 2010, she moved to Los Angeles,[7] where she currently lives, in addition to London.
Career
2012–2015: Cut 4 Me and Hallucinogen
In November 2012, Mizanekristos began work on her debut mixtape with already two recorded songs. She later quit her job as a telemarketer to fully pursue her career as a musician.[10] Having moved to Los Angeles, Mizanekristos connected with Teengirl Fantasy and contributed to the group's 2013 album Tracer on the song "EFX", which led her to meet Prince William from the label Fade to Mind.[6] He introduced her to the sound of the record label and its sister imprint from London, Night Slugs. In May 2013, she appeared on Kingdom's "Bank Head", and five months later released her mixtape Cut 4 Me for free.[11] Harriet Gisbone of The Guardian described the mixtape as "an experiment for the production team, the first time the production crew had used vocals on their club tracks."[1] Her track "Go All Night" was included on Saint Heron, a multi-artist compilation album released by Solange Knowles. The mixtape was heavily influenced by grime music, a popular electronic genre based in the UK, and helped revive the subgenre known as Rhythm & Grime.
In December 2013, DJ Kitty Cash released her Love the Free mixtape, which featured her song, "The High". Mizanekristos later released the track herself on February 4, 2014, on her SoundCloud.[14] She also featured on Bok Bok's song "Melba's Call", which was released on March 5.[15] On March 3, 2015, Mizanekristos announced the release of her first EP, Hallucinogen, alongside the release of the lead single "A Message" and its accompanying music video.[16] The second single, "Rewind", was released on September 2. The EP covers the beginning, middle, and end of a relationship in reverse chronological order.[17] It includes the previously shared "The High".
2016–2018: Take Me Apart
Kelela in 2014
In 2016, Mizanekristos was featured on "A Breath Away" from Clams Casino's 32 Levels, "From the Ground" from Danny Brown's Atrocity Exhibition, and "Scales" from Solange's A Seat at the Table. In February 2017, she took part in Red Bull Sound Select's 3 Days in Miami.[18] Later that year, she was featured on the track "Submission" alongside rapper Danny Brown and provided additional vocals on the track "Busted and Blue" from Gorillaz's album Humanz.
On July 14, 2017, Mizanekristos announced her debut studio album, Take Me Apart.[19] It was made available for pre-order on August 1 alongside the release of the lead single, "LMK".[20] Three more singles preceded the album, "Frontline",[21] "Waitin"[22] and "Blue Light",[23] before it was released on October 6, 2017.[24] The album received widespread acclaim from music critics and featured on various year-end lists.[25][26] It was also included in the 2018 edition of the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. The music critic Craig Jenkins noted heavy electronic instrumentation on the album with, "deconstructed dubstep wubs in “Blue Light” and used the Roland synth that gave “Jupiter” its name—an instrument famous for its blaring leads—to play sultry chiptune instead."
On June 13, 2018, Mizanekristos was featured on the Girl Unit remix of the song "WYWD", which served as the lead single from his upcoming album, Song Feel. The two have previously worked together on Cut 4 Me's "Floor Show" and Hallucinogen's "Rewind".
On September 12, 2018, Mizanekristos announced Take Me a_Part, the Remixes, a remix album consisting of remixes from her debut album, and shared a remix for "LMK" featuring Princess Nokia, Junglepussy, Cupcakke and Ms. Boogie. The album features contributions from Kaytranada, Rare Essence, Serpentwithfeet and more.[29] On September 26, Mizanekristos shared Kaytranada's "Waitin" remix as the second single from the album.[30] The album was released on October 5, 2018, making it a year since the release of Take Me Apart.
2019–present: Hiatus and Raven
On September 13, 2022, Mizanekristos released "Washed Away", her first single in five years along with a music video. On November 15, 2022, Mizanekristos announced her second studio album Raven would be released in early 2023. "Happy Ending", "On the Run", "Contact", and “Enough for Love” were also released as singles prior to the release of the album.
On February 10, 2023, Raven was released. She performed her song “Enough for Love” during a performance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon the same day.
Raven includes collaborators such as Asmara from Fade to Mind's NGUZUNGUZU, Philadelphia-based DJ and producer LSDXOXO, German ambient duo OCA, and Toronto DJ BAMBII. The album showcases Black futurist art and electronic music sharing inspiration with Stevie Wonder, Herbie Hancock, and Sun Ra to Janelle Monáe, Solange, Beyoncé, Drexciya and Aaliyah.
Bank Head
Kelela Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's hard, but I'm not static
We lock eyes from far away
And then you slowly turn your face
Like middle school we're a secret
There's more to it but we keep it
It's not a game I know
We're moving at our pace
Remembering that one time
Had to stop it's making me hot
Come on out, there's no need to hide
Could you be my new love
Could it be that we need some time
I'm still browsing, there's no need to buy
It's all I dreamed of, it can't get started
Time goes by really slow and I need to let it
And all I dreamed of, it can't get started
Time goes really slow and I need to let it
It's all I dreamed of, it can't get started
Time goes by really slow and I need to let it
Out
It's all I dreamed of, it can't get started
Time goes by really slow and I need to let it
Out
I'm keeping you close you know it
And I'm taking my time to show it
You're touching me like you've had it all along
Feels like you're right
And once you're around I notice
That I need to draw you closer
A breath away, I wonder how you keep it all inside
Remembering that one time
Had to stop it's making me hot
Come on out, there's no need to hide
Could you be my new love
Could it be that we need some time
I'm still browsing, there's no need to hide
It's all I dreamed of, it can't get started
Time goes by really slow and I need to let it
And all I dreamed of, it can't get started
Time goes really slow and I need to let it out
Could you be my new love
Sad we couldn't go any deeper, something tells me you're a keeper
Time goes by
Sad we couldn't go any deeper, something tells me you're a keeper
Time goes by
Sad we couldn't go any deeper, something tells me you're a keeper
Time goes by
Kelela's song "06. Bank Head" tells the story of a budding romance, characterized by hesitancy and a need to take things slow. The opening lines of the song, "Like kicking an old bad habit, it's hard, but I'm not static" suggest that the singer recognizes that they are developing feelings for this person despite their attempts to resist them. The lyrics describe how they lock eyes from far away, but then the object of their affection turns away.
The singer compares this situation to their middle school days when they kept secrets, indicating that the romance is still tentative and not yet fully formed. There is a sense of uncertainty throughout the song, as they hint at the possibility of being each other's "new love" but still feel the need to take time to explore their feelings. Despite their hesitation, they are drawn closer together, and the lyrics indicate that they are physically intimate, "You're touching me like you've had it all along".
Overall, the verses create a sense of longing and a desire to express their feelings without fully revealing them, perhaps due to fear of rejection or the risks associated with being vulnerable.
Line by Line Meaning
Like kickin' an old bad habit
Trying to break away from something that was once a part of my life
It's hard, but I'm not static
It's difficult, but I'm still changing and evolving
We lock eyes from far away
We make eye contact even though we're not close
And then you slowly turn your face
You try to avoid looking at me directly
Like middle school we're a secret
Our relationship is hidden and kept secret like a middle school romance
There's more to it but we keep it
There are deeper feelings involved but we choose to keep them hidden
It's not a game I know
I am aware that this is not just a casual fling or game
We're moving at our pace
We're taking things at our own speed and not rushing anything
Remembering that one time
Thinking back to a specific moment in our relationship
Had to stop it's making me hot
It's overwhelming me with emotion and passion
Come on out, there's no need to hide
Let's be open and honest with our feelings
Could you be my new love
Wondering if you could be the one I've been looking for
Could it be that we need some time
Maybe we need to take a step back and give ourselves time to figure things out
I'm still browsing, there's no need to buy
I'm still exploring my options and not ready to commit just yet
It's all I dreamed of, it can't get started
This feels like my ideal relationship, but we're struggling to make it work
Time goes by really slow and I need to let it
Waiting for things to progress feels like it's taking forever and I need to be patient
Out
Expressing a desire to let out my frustrations and emotions
I'm keeping you close you know it
I am intentionally keeping our relationship close and intimate
And I'm taking my time to show it
I am deliberately moving slowly in order to demonstrate my commitment and devotion to you
You're touching me like you've had it all along
Your touch is so natural and comfortable, as though we've been together for a long time
Feels like you're right
Being with you feels like the right thing to do
And once you're around I notice
Being in your presence makes me aware of my feelings
That I need to draw you closer
I realize that I want to be even closer and more intimate with you
A breath away, I wonder how you keep it all inside
We are so close in proximity, yet you seem to be holding something back and I am curious about what it is
Sad we couldn't go any deeper, something tells me you're a keeper
I am disappointed that we haven't been able to fully explore our connection, but I have a feeling that you are worth holding onto
Time goes by
Expressing the passage of time and the need to be patient with our relationship
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Ezra Rubin, Kelela Mizanekristos
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
hellohi123ist
Like kickin' an old bad habit It's hard, but I'm not standard We lock eyes from far away And then you slowly turn your face Like middle school we're a secret There's more to it but we keep it It's not a game, I only know we're moving at our pace
Remember in the winter? Had to stop, it's making me hot Come on out, there's no need to hide Could you be my new love Could it be that we need some time? I'm still aroused, and there's no need to hide
It's all I dreamed of It can't get started Time goes by really slow and I Need to let it - And all I dreamed of It can't get started Time goes really slow and I Need to let it - It's all I dreamed of It can't get started Time goes by really slow and I Need to let it out
And all I dreamed of It can't get started Time goes really slow and I Need to let it out
I'm keeping you close, you know it And I'm taking my time to show it You're touching me like you had it all along Feels like you're right And once you're around I notice That I need to draw you closer I break away, I wonder how you keep it all inside
Remember in the winter? Had to stop, it's making me hot Count me out of this, no need There's no need to hide Could you be my boo, boy? Could it be that we need some time? I'm still aroused and there's no need to hide
It's all I've dreamed of I can't get started Time goes by really slow and I And I need to let it out And all I've dreamed of It can't get started Time goes really slow and I need to let it out Could you be my new love? It's all I've dreamed of All I dreamed of Boy
Orangeman
Still listening to this in 2021 one of the greatest songs ever tbh!
ツpie579
True very nice song👍🏼
ITSAHARDNUGLIFE
My coworker showed me this gem today
Orangeman
@Marcus Drew your not lying
Marcus Drew
Was literally just saying this. Probably the greatest song of all time
Jacqueline Armijo
Now listening to it in 2022 ;-)
Sam Smith
I love how tasty this is so many years later. It's still a bop. I used to listen to this every single day after it came out. Now it's like a familiar friend that I go back to every once in a while and it never loses its charm.
Sam Smith
@Orangeman 3 years later and it's still in my rotation 👍
Orangeman
Exactly how I feel about this song
Dino Jardin
SAM SMITH???? IM YOUR BIGGEST FAN