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.
Keep It Cool
Kelela Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You can't stop and it's a crime
We're gonna blow our cover
Bound to surrender, unless we
Keep it, keep it cool
Keep it, cool
Keep it, keep it cool
'Round and 'round inside our heads
We're going nowhere
"Focusing is hard" you're telling me
'Cause I'm not there
This ain't no coincidence
Taking all I've got
I almost surrendered
Why must we?
Keep it (keep it), keep it cool
(Why must we?) Keep it, cool
Keep it, keep it cool
Keep it (cool), keep it cool
Hope one day the stars align
You're deep within me
'Til you give it up
We can't surrender
You're not free
Keep it , keep it cool (hope one day the stars align)
Keep it, cool (you're deep within me)
Keep it, keep it cool ('til you give it up)
Keep it, keep it cool (we can't surrender)
Make it hot, hot, hot, hot, hot, hot, hot, hot
When you surrender
You make it hot, hot, hot, hot, hot, hot, hot, hot
Then, we'll surrender
Make it hot, hot, hot (hot)
You know I
I make it hot (hot)
In this song, Kelela is talking about a situation where she is in love with someone who is not hers, and they both have to keep their feelings under wraps. They dance around each other, never quite crossing the line to avoid "blowing their cover." The lyrics suggest that they have come close to surrendering to their feelings in the past, but they have managed to keep it "cool." This becomes increasingly difficult as they keep going round and round in their heads, unable to move forward or focus on anything else. Kelela acknowledges that surrendering to their feelings would make things "hot," but until that happens, they must keep it cool to avoid getting caught.
The chorus, "Keep it, keep it cool," is repeated several times, emphasizing the importance of keeping emotions in check. There is a sense of frustration and longing throughout the song, as she hopes for a future where they can be together, but for now, they must both keep their cool.
Overall, the lyrics of "Keep It Cool" are relatable to anyone who has been in a situation where they can't act on their feelings. It's a catchy, danceable track with a deep emotional undercurrent.
Line by Line Meaning
Beautiful, you're not mine
The person being referred to is beautiful but not romantically interested in the singer
You can't stop and it's a crime
The person being referred to is unable to control their feelings and it's causing problems for them
We're gonna blow our cover
Their secret relationship is at risk of being exposed
Bound to surrender, unless we
They are likely to give up their relationship unless they do something to save it
Keep it, keep it cool
They need to keep their relationship under control and stay calm
Keep it, keep it cool
Repeats the previous line
Round and round inside our heads
They are overthinking and going around in circles
We're going nowhere
Despite their efforts, their relationship is not progressing
"Focusing is hard" you're telling me
Their partner is finding it difficult to focus on their relationship
'Cause I'm not there
The singer is not as invested in the relationship as their partner
This ain't no coincidence
Their relationship wasn't just a lucky accident, they both chose to be together
Taking all I've got
This relationship is emotionally draining for the singer
I almost surrendered
The singer considered giving up on the relationship
Why must we?
The singer questions why they have to work so hard for their relationship
Keep it (keep it), keep it cool
They need to stay composed to avoid losing their relationship
(Why must we?) Keep it, cool
They question why they have to work so hard and restate the importance of staying calm
Hope one day the stars align
The singer hopes that one day their relationship will work out
You're deep within me
Their partner has a strong emotional impact on them
'Til you give it up
Their partner needs to let their guard down for their relationship to progress
We can't surrender
They can't give up on their relationship
Keep it , keep it cool (hope one day the stars align)
Staying calm and composed is still important to them
Keep it, cool (you're deep within me)
Their partner still means a lot to them but they need to stay rational
Keep it, keep it cool ('til you give it up)
They're still waiting for their partner to let their guard down
Keep it, keep it cool (we can't surrender)
They restate that they can't give up on their relationship
Make it hot, hot, hot, hot, hot, hot, hot, hot
They want to add passion and excitement back into their relationship
When you surrender
Their partner needs to be the one to let their guard down
You make it hot, hot, hot, hot, hot, hot, hot, hot
Adding passion and excitement to their relationship will require effort from both of them
Then, we'll surrender
They'll both need to let their guard down for their relationship to progress
Make it hot, hot, hot (hot)
They stress the importance of bringing passion back into their relationship
You know I
They convey a sense of closeness with their partner
I make it hot (hot)
The singer will do their part to make the relationship work
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Kelela Mizanekristos, Jack Latham
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@francomatias7560
[Verse 1]
Beautiful, you're not mine
You can't stop and it's a crime
We're gonna blow our cover
Bound to surrender, unless we
[Hook]
Keep it
Keep it cool...
[Verse 2]
Round and round inside our heads
We're going no where
"focusing is hard" you're telling me
Cuz i'm not there
This ain't no coincidence
Taking all i've got
I almost surrendered
Why must we
[Hook]
Keep it
Keep it cool...
[Verse 3]
Hope one day the stars align
You're deep within me
'til you give it up
We can't surrender
You're not free
[Hook]
Keep it
Keep it cool...
[Outro]
Make it hot
When you surrender
You make it hot
Then, we'll surrender
Make it hot
You know
I make it hot
@yesiwill100
i'm guilty of listening to this like 15 times a day!
@marshaydavis5186
Being involved with someone who doesn't belong to you fully. A daring predicament, that kelela has captured. This secretive love affair that can almost go too far if one or the other doesn't keep their composure.
@harunmalik6200
+amen Dupri you're making me cringe
@caerulea0
+Harun Malik lol right
@unknownbtch5624
this song feels so fresh even 9 years later! i want to come back to this era of music
@MrFeyerwire
The cohesion of this album is beyond amazing, especially with so many different producers contributing to it.
@bambiigalore5179
It’s 2021 and I’m just getting hip to sis here! I got all her albums downloaded and play them ERRDAY
@rachelmazyck8838
It's been over 4 years and this album is still fire!
@terrynicholas1972
...I'm late to the party. Heard of her and bought it last week. Been on repeat since then.
@caneimcdonald9226
2020!! Kelela is underrated af!! This album still slap years later!!