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.
Something Else
Kelela Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I give it all away
Another girl's takin'
You say it's not the same
I know it's all a game
I know how you're making out
Another bad play
It's the same old thing when you open your mouth
I know it's coming
I gave my all to you
But it seems my love was not enough now
I know you're hurting too
But I lost a place that I barely found
When I believed in this
I would be giving what I needed, baby
When I remember you
I will remember what it means to carry on
You tell me one thing, then another
Always something else
I'm onto you, it's never ending
Always something else
You tell me one thing, then another
Always something else
You tell me one thing, then another
It's always something else
Rewind the heartache
You try, but it's fake
Knowing what you're taking
The things I don't say
You see it in my face
And then it's all coming out (out)
Boy, I beg your pardon
You ain't callin' me out
Go ahead and hide it
I already know
I've seen the future
And it's over
I gave my all to you
But it seems my love was not enough now
I know you're hurting too
But I lost a place that I barely found
When I believed in this
I would be giving what I needed, baby
When I remember you
I will remember what it means to carry on
You tell me one thing, then another
Always something else
I'm onto you, it's never ending
Always something else
You tell me one thing, then another
Always something else
You tell me one thing, then another
It's always something else
You tell me one thing, then another
I'm onto you, it's never ending
Always something else
You tell me one thing, then another
You tell me one thing, then another
You tell me one thing, then another
Always something else
I'm onto you, it's never ending
You tell me one thing, then another
"Something Else" by Kelela is a song about a relationship that has lost its trust due to the constant lies and inconsistencies of one of the partners. The singer gives her all to the relationship, but she feels as though it's never enough since her partner keeps changing his story. In the first verse, Kelela suggests that her partner is involved with another girl, but he denies it when confronted. The singer knows that he is lying and playing a game, but she still stays with him. However, the repeated lies and disappointments make her realize that it's over, and she's seen the future.
In the chorus, Kelela focuses on the inconsistency and double-talk of her partner, saying that he tells her one thing, then another, and it's always something else. The second verse echoes the same sentiment, with the singer saying she knows her partner is hurting too, but she's lost a place that she barely found. She believed in the relationship, and she would've given him what he needed, but now, she'll remember what it means to carry on.
Overall, "Something Else" is a heartfelt song that many listeners can relate to who have gone through similar experiences in a romantic relationship. It's about the emotional turmoil that comes with learning to trust and love someone who is unreliable and undependable.
Line by Line Meaning
Watch the replay
Reflecting on past events
I give it all away
I put all my effort and emotions into this relationship
Another girl's takin'
You're seeing other girls
You say it's not the same
You make excuses for your actions and behavior
I know it's all a game
I see through your lies and manipulation
I know how you're making out
I understand your true intentions
Another bad play
Another dishonest or hurtful action
It's the same old thing when you open your mouth
You always say the same untruthful things
Forgetting what we talked about
You don't value our conversations or promises
I know it's coming
I anticipate more lies or mistreatment from you
I gave my all to you
I loved you with all my heart and effort
But it seems my love was not enough now
You hurt me and showed you didn't value my love
I know you're hurting too
I acknowledge your pain in this situation
But I lost a place that I barely found
I lost the security and happiness I finally found with you
When I believed in this
When I was optimistic about the relationship
I would be giving what I needed, baby
I thought that by loving you, you would love me back the same way
When I remember you
When I think of you in the future
I will remember what it means to carry on
I will remember to keep moving forward despite heartbreak
You tell me one thing, then another
You constantly change your story or actions
Always something else
You're always hiding something or being dishonest
I'm onto you, it's never ending
I'm aware of your pattern of behavior and it never stops
Rewind the heartache
Wanting to undo the emotional pain caused by this relationship
You try, but it's fake
Your apologies and attempts to fix things are insincere
Knowing what you're taking
I'm aware of how much I've given and how little you've given back
The things I don't say
The things I keep inside and don't express to you
You see it in my face
You can tell from my expression how I'm truly feeling
And then it's all coming out (out)
I'm finally expressing my true feelings and frustrations
Boy, I beg your pardon
I'm trying to be polite while also calling you out
You ain't callin' me out
You're not being honest and holding yourself accountable
Go ahead and hide it
You're trying to keep your true intentions and actions hidden
I've seen the future
I can predict how this relationship will continue to play out
And it's over
I've come to terms with the fact that this relationship is done
Lyrics © WARP MUSIC LIMITED, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Asma Maroof, Daniel Pineda, Danielle Carroll, Kelela Mizanekristos, Will Boston
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Franco Matías
[Verse 1]
Watch the replay
I give it all away
Another girl's takin'
You say it's all the same
I know it's all a game
I know how you're making out
Another bad play
It's the same old thing when you open your mouth
Forgetting what we talked about
I know it's coming
[Refrain]
I gave my all to you
But it seems my love was not enough now
I know you're hurting too
But i lost a place that i barely found
When i believed in this
I would be giving what i needed, baby
When i remember you
I will remember what it means to carry on
[Hook]
You tell me one thing, then another
Always something else
I'm onto you, it's never ending
Always something else
You tell me one thing, then another
Always something else
You tell me one thing, then another
It's always something else
[Verse 2]
Rewind the heartache
You try, but it's fake
Knowing what you're taking
The things I don't say
You see it in my face
And then it's all coming out
Boy, i beg your pardon
You ain't callin' me out
Go ahead and hide it
I already know
I've seen the future
And it's over
[Refrain]
I gave my all to you
But it seems my love was not enough now
I know you're hurting too
But i lost a place that i barely found
When i believed in this
I would be giving what i needed, baby
When i remember you
I will remember what it means to carry on
[Hook]
You tell me one thing, then another
Always something else
I'm onto you, it's never ending
Always something else
You tell me one thing, then another
Always something else
You tell me one thing, then another
It's always something else
Trav Darroux
The bass on this track is incredible. Sounds dope in the car.
Iceman
Kelela`s voice is pure silk...
FKA rice
That voice is heavenly.
Renae M
Gorgeous! Reminds me of one of my favorite artists Amel Larrieux
Al Cox
!!!!
Ivan Sabolek
she nailed it...dope AF
palmer491
this is just beautiful. her style reminds me a bit of james blake.
Davondra Jordan
Yes!!! Perfect collab
ImaSaaD1
I hate myself for missing out on her for so long. This whole album is pure Gold. 💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯
Paulo Neto
assim como vinho essa mixtape so melhora com o tempo