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.
Truth or Dare
Kelela Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tease me
It's getting dark, stay or leave
It's round 3, would you tell me your fantasy
Don't you take it back all I made
I can tell that you wanna take my body, my body baby tonight
Truth or dare
Truth or dare
Keep us in this moment
Truth or dare
You're in the position I put you
Truth or
Nothing on
Just music, music
It's your turn to begin
So put on, like I've never been touched before
Could you leave it back anymore
I'ma risk my hands you adore my body, my body baby tonight yeah
Truth or dare
We both know, how we're playing in
Truth or dare
Keep us in this moment
Truth or dare
You're in the position I put you
You're in the position I put you
You're in the position I put you
Truth or
Here comes another, day and it go under
You're my favorite lover
Take your time and get it right
Here comes another, day and it go under
You're my favorite lover
Take your time and get it right
Truth or dare
Baby just leave with my love
From a secret
Secret place
Truth or dare
It's a game of truth or
It's game of truth or dare
Game of truth or
Game of truth or dare
It's a (it's my turn now)
Game of truth or (choose)
Game of truth or dare (a dare)
(You have to do exactly what I say)
Truth or
Truth or dare
(No there's no turning back now)
Truth or
It's a game of truth or dare (dare)
(You)
The lyrics in Kelela’s song “Truth or Dare” are a nod to the popular game that we all know and love. In the song, the singer seems to be inviting someone over to engage in their own version of the game, where they can get to know each other on a deeper level. The chorus repeats the phrase “Truth or Dare,” emphasizing that they want to keep the moment both playful and authentic. The singer is clear that she wants her partner to be honest with her, whether it's in revealing their deepest desires or taking a risk and completing a dare. The lyrics also suggest that there’s an element of sensuality to the game as the singer hopes to get intimate with her partner.
The verses focus more on setting the mood for the game. In the first verse, the singer seems to be in a state of undress, teasing her partner as they prepare for the game. She’s interested in hearing what her partner fantasizes about but makes it clear that she won’t tolerate someone taking back everything they've shared. In the second verse, the singer encourages her partner to take the lead, telling them to touch her as though she's never been touched before. She's excited to explore with her partner but wants them to take things slow and not rush through their exploration.
Overall, “Truth or Dare” is a seductive song that encourages vulnerability and playfulness in relationships. It’s a reminder that it's important to let go of our inhibitions and take risks with the people we love.
Line by Line Meaning
T-shirt off
Let's get intimate
Tease me
Flirt with me
It's getting dark, stay or leave
We can either continue or stop now
It's round 3, would you tell me your fantasy
Let's share our deepest desires
Don't you take it back all I made
Don't regret what we do
I can tell that you wanna take my body, my body baby tonight
I know you want me physically
Truth or dare
Let's play a game
We both know, how we're playing in
We both understand the rules
Keep us in this moment
Let's stay in the present
You're in the position I put you
You're doing what I ask of you
Nothing on
Let's get naked
Just music, music
Let's enjoy the sound
It's your turn to begin
Your move
So put on, like I've never been touched before
Pleasure me like I'm new
Could you leave it back anymore
Don't hold back
I'ma risk my hands you adore my body, my body baby tonight yeah
I'll take the chance to please you physically
Here comes another, day and it go under
Life goes on
You're my favorite lover
I enjoy intimacy with you the most
Take your time and get it right
Don't rush, do it properly
Baby just leave with my love
Let's share affection
From a secret Secret place
From our private space
It's a game of truth or
We're playing truth or dare
(You have to do exactly what I say) Truth or
You have to be honest
(No there's no turning back now) Truth or
You can't take back what you say
It's a game of truth or dare (dare)
We're playing truth or dare (dare)
(You)
Your turn to choose
Lyrics © WARP MUSIC LIMITED, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Kelela Mizanekristos, Talay Riley, Asma Maroof, Will Boston
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind