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.
Cherry Coffee
Kelela Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Say it's over, baby
Been tellin' me for a while
That you're gonna stop
Hurting, but I weather
Finally got through the sting
That's the hardest part
Seeing in the dark
You're in deep
I see what's going on
It's a twisted cycle
You've confused with love
I'm in deep
Feel like I'ma die, a fade to mind
I keep letting go
But I know you're holding on
Keep me up in bed at night
You're better than you'll ever know
I'm in a story, prisoner
Taking my time
You never give up
Now it's over, told you, baby
Pray to the almighty
That you figure out
How to pull the trigger
And then you'll look at me
Someone you know who tried
Now that we're clear, bye bye
You're in deep
I see what's going on
It's a twisted cycle
You've confused with love
I'm in deep
Feel like I'ma die, a fade to mind
I keep letting go
But I know you're holding on
You're in deep
I see what's going on
It's a twisted cycle
You've confused with love
I'm in deep
Feel like I'ma die, a fade to mind
I keep letting go
But I know you're holding on
You wouldn't stop at nothing
You wouldn't stop at nothing
You wouldn't stop at nothing
The song "Cherry Coffee" by Kelela talks about a toxic and twisted relationship that has been dragging for some time. The lyrics appear to be a dialogue between Kelela and her partner who seems to be holding onto the relationship, even though Kelela wants to move on. She is hurt and struggling to let go of the relationship but is finding solace in knowing that she's not alone. Kelela yearns for closure and suggests that her partner should take the initiative and end things since they're the ones holding on. She tells them that it's time to say goodbye and move on.
The song's title is a reference to Kelela's favorite coffee shop in Los Angeles, where she used to spend a lot of time writing her music. The coffee shop was called "Cherry on Top," and she would always order a cherry latte. The song seems to be a reflection of her personal experiences with relationships and the emotional struggles that come with it. The chorus and the hook of the song ("You're in deep, I see what's going on, it's a twisted cycle you've confused with love") is a reference to the cycle of abuse that often occurs in toxic relationships, where the abuser continues to manipulate their partner, making it difficult for them to leave.
Line by Line Meaning
Trust me, I'll feel better
Believe me when I say I'll eventually be alright
Say it's over, baby
Admit that our relationship is over
Been tellin' me for a while
That you're gonna stop
Hurting, but I weather
Finally got through the sting
That's the hardest part
Seeing in the dark
You've promised to stop hurting me, and although it was difficult, I finally got over the pain. The hardest part was not knowing what was happening.
You're in deep
I see what's going on
It's a twisted cycle
You've confused with love
I'm in deep
Feel like I'ma die, a fade to mind
I keep letting go
But I know you're holding on
We're both caught up in a toxic relationship that's spiraling out of control. Even though I try to move on, you keep pulling me back in.
Keep me up in bed at night
You're better than you'll ever know
I'm in a story, prisoner
Taking my time
I can't sleep at night because of you, and although you're amazing, you don't realize how much I'm suffering. I feel like I'm trapped in this situation, but I'm not rushing to get out.
You never give up
Now it's over, told you, baby
Pray to the almighty
That you figure out
How to pull the trigger
And then you'll look at me
Someone you know who tried
Now that we're clear, bye bye
You refuse to let go, but I've finally had enough and ended things. I hope you find the strength to end this yourself, otherwise you'll end up regretting not listening to me. We're done.
You wouldn't stop at nothing
You wouldn't stop at nothing
You wouldn't stop at nothing
You're willing to go to any lengths to keep this destructive relationship going, even if it means hurting me more.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Kelela Mizanekristos, Jack Latham
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Franco Matías
Trust me, I'll feel better
Say it's over, baby
Been tellin' me for a while
That you're gonna stop
Hurting, but i weather
Finally got through the sting
That's the hardest part
Seeing in the dark
You're in deep
I see what's going on
It's a twisted cycle you've confused with love
I'm in deep
Feel like I'mma die, a fade to mind
I keep letting go
But i know you're holding on
Keep me up in bed at night
You're better than you'll ever know
I'm in a story, prisoner
Taking my time
You never give up
Now it's over
Told you, baby
Pray to the almighty
That you figure out
How to pull the trigger
And then you'll look at me
Someone you know who tried
Now that we're clear, bye bye
You're in deep
I see what's going on
It's a twisted cycle you've confused with love
I'm in deep
Feel like I'mma die, a fade to mind
I keep letting go
But i know you're holding on
pristino
"You wouldn't stop at nothing"
i lit breakdown in tears her music is like hearing my prayers n suffering
Bri Bri
The intro is the best part , gets you ready for what's about to come 💛💕
Gustavo Amorim
Goosebumps. Feels like this track was lived
semjon.
for me this is the most beautiful and unique song. the whole message is so true!
⚡️Preppy Vids⚡️
Kelela`s voice is pure silk
Lionel Gantt
Bruh this song so awesome you gotta let the intro rock😏
Robertking1996
Makes my soul leave my body ever so slowly and returning back peaceful. Love this song, loving this artist. iTunes Radio kept recommending her music, very glad ❤️
Fiona Campbell
Ppl who are saying the intro is too long know nothing about the funk, groove, or ride smh
klremoval 1
this intro is much needed and has a purpose, anybody critiquing it as unnecessary must question the artist-not dismiss the art just because they dont get it.
Morgan Francis
Fr i never skip it 😌