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when i call _ iamkyami ft.lazygirl
Manchester based Japanese-American artist iamkyami today releases new single "When I Call" (feat. Lazygirl) alongside an animated video illustrated by JanCarlo Caling. "When I Call" follows previous singles "Internet Friends" and "Stars" - all lifted from iamkyami's new EP "The Kenny Klubhouse"- out 29th April via Heist or Hit (Her's, Pizzagirl, Eades). A pristine, bouncy slice of electronic bedroom-pop, "When I Call" swells with crisp percussion and airy synths, interspersed with stabs of funk-leaning guitar motifs. Lyrically the track finds iamkyami and Lazygirl lamenting the same f*ckboi, using each other as a sounding board: "I think this guy might be the one" to which Lazygirl responds: "Hope he's not the type to up and run..."
Speaking on the track release, iamkyami said: "Beth (Lazygirl) and I didn't really have an understanding of the lyrical meaning behind the song until we wrote the bridge over FaceTime. We had all these lyrics which basically sounded like a lesbian love song (which I wasn't mad about) but PLOT TWIST, in the bridge, we discover that we're both singing about going out with the same f*ckboi. I worked with an illustrator based in Birmingham called JanCarlo Caling who made the video for the song and he did a great job of nailing the storyline. One of my favourite parts of the video is when Beth and I do the Sailor Moon transformation and blast the f*ckboi out of our lives!" Making an early case to be the breakout pop act in 2022, iamkyami (born Kyla Ami Mitsui Russell) is a slick-talking, perceptive narrator exploring notions of identity, uniqueness and self. Unpacking and exploding the rich opulence of pop tropes, Ky’s signature sound lies in the stillness of the aftermath. Raw, honest and executed with ninja-like emotional literacy; an astute, eloquent head on shoulders that just happen to be enveloped in Hello Kitty dungarees and a streetwear edit overseen by Yvie Oddly.
Upcoming EP "The Kenny Klubhouse" follows iamkyami's 2020 debut EP "Life of Ky". Taking cues from a diverse pool of influences ranging from 90's pop icons Britney Spears and Avril Lavigne, soul stalwarts Erykah Badu and D'Angelo, to the more modern contemporary approach of acts such as Brockhampton, SZA and Tyler, The Creator - these eclectic influences inspired Ky to push authenticity to the centre of the frame on her ambitious new creations: “My heritage is one where two worlds collide and that’s something really special. Being half Japanese and half Black American, there are so many influences to pull from and my aesthetic is heavily based on my identity. Not only my ethnic identity but my identity as a Queer person too. My music is simply another way to express myself and the ways in which I view the world." From main stage performances at the Liverpool International Music Festival and support slots for Yazmin Lacey, Georgia, Pizzagirl, Zuzu and Roy Ayers, iamkyami has earned acclaim across the board: from gal-dem, Dork Magazine, The Line Of Best Fit and Notion, to BBC Radio 1, 6Music, Radio 1Xtra, Reprezent Radio and Worldwide FM – all lining up to call themselves fans. It’s not hard to see why. iamkyami has the ability to get to the essence of what many artists spend albums chiselling away at. A Venn diagram where the personal overlaps the universal - the next 12 months is theirs for the taking. iamkyami's new single "When I Call" (ft. Lazygirl) is out now. New EP "The Kenny Klubhouse" is out 29th April via Heist or Hit.