A record of identity and legacy, self-expression and celebration, ‘This Here Feels Good’ captures Kay Young’s rising star and puts it on full display, inviting all to bask in her irresistible shining light.
Stream: “I’ve Got You” – Kay Young ft. JNR WILLIAMS
I’ve learnt to dream big no matter the situation you’re in, as it allows you to see beyond your now.
Kay Young is an irresistible, exhilarating presence. Whether she’s rapping about her inner drive and artistic passions, exploring the nuances of race and gender in her world, or reminiscing on her youth, upbringing, and cultural heritage, the British artist has an undeniable stage presence that makes her music as intoxicating as it is provocative. Her latest EP is an alluring ray of sunshine soaked in hypnotic jazz and soul-stirring truth: A record of identity and legacy, self-expression and celebration, This Here Feels Good captures Kay Young’s rising star and puts it on full display, inviting all to bask in her light.
Released October 8, 2021 via Play It Again Sam, This Here Feels Good is an exceptional, uninhibited 21-minute indulgence. Kay Young’s third EP arrives in the wake of 2019’s actually. and 2020’s Middle Matters, presenting the London-based artist, rapper and producer at a moment of heightened resolve and assured self-awareness.
“Creating this EP during lockdown kept me sane,” Young tells Atwood Magazine. “I simply got lost in it because it felt good and I felt safe regardless of what was going on outside my bedroom studio. I dug deep and gave it my all! It just felt so good when I was creating it, and it still gives me that feeling when I listen back to it. There’s an energy of excitement running through it.”
“Personally I think it’s a great body of work and shows my diversity,” she adds. Her words, both here and in each song, ring phenomenally true: From the passion-fueled opener “No Regrets” and the soulful, real life lesson-filled “White Teeth” (about racial inequality and having to “work twice as hard as your white friends”), to the utterly enthralling, immersive “Suddenly” and the spirited “I’ve Got You” (ft. JNR WILLIAMS), Kay Young’s songs showcase her visionary talent – not to mention her versatility as a lyricist, vocalist, producer, and arranger. This Here Feels Good does feel good, from start to finish, as it enchants the ears and inspires the soul.
Highlights can be hard to pinpoint in a five-song set, but there’s something special about “I’ve Got You” that keeps us coming back to it time and again. Described by the artist as an “emblem of survival,” “I’ve Got You” is a beacon of resilience and inner strength to help see us through. “How you doing, I just called to say I love,” the artist raps at the top of her first verse, going on to weave together present actions and past nostalgia into a stirring tapestry of connection and understanding.
“Even though ‘I’ve Got You’ is a fast, uplifting dance track, it seems to get people very emotional,” Young reflects. “I think it’s just the hook, and what we’ve gone through this last year alone — it’s a perfect song for the now.”
For Young, “I’ve Got You” and “White Teeth” feel and sound timeless. As a lyrically forward artist, she is also quick to share two of her favorite lines from the EP: The mantra “betting on myself with no regrets” from the opener, and the second verse of “White Teeth”:
“Daddy didn’t raise no fool
Beat round the bush, he straight with me
Different kind of cool
Thinking I want to have that some day
Up late playing the Blues
Had me feel I could so anything
Ok, I’m a bring the trophy home
Daddy I’m a pick up where you left off”
Whether you’re coming to This Here Feels Good to dance the day away, or to strip your soul clean, Kay Young promises to move you in one way or another.
Signed together by Jay Electronica and Jay Z to Roc Nation’s management group, Kay Young has a bright future ahead of her – as well as an already impressive bevy of songs to fill your nights with wonder and your days with inspiration and light. Intimate, vulnerable, intense, and unapologetically true to herself, Young is one artist-to-watch worth paying extra special attention to over the years to come.
For now, she’s said so much of what she needs to say in This Here Feels Good. “I hope it leaves [listeners] feeling good like it does me,” Young shares. “I’ve learnt to dream big no matter the situation you’re in, as it allows you to see beyond your now.”
Experience the warmth and wonder of this full record via our below stream, and peek inside Kay Young’s This Here Feels Good EP with Atwood Magazine as the artist goes track-by-track through the music and lyrics of her third EP!
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Stream: ‘This Here Feels Good’ – Kay Young
:: Inside This Here Feels Good ::
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No Regrets
I’m a big believer of intros as it’s important to bring people in to your world from the start. Manami Kakudo’s vocal is what you hear at the beginning. She is an amazing musician and has the ability to draw you in with the layering of her vocals. The vision for this was that I wanted it to sound like the beginning of something new , something that you have yet to hear. “Refreshing , Honest , Growth”
White Teeth
White Teeth is a bittersweet song. I wanted the listener to see the world through the eyes of an innocent child who is yet to face adversity simply for the colour of their skin. My vision was to deliver a powerful message in a playful way. “Innocent, playful, raw”
Suddenly
I really wasn’t planning on making this a love song but something in the chords forced me to write about falling in love unexpectedly. I didn’t have a vision going into this one . I started of playing around with the chords and the robotic sounding effects kind of brought it to life. “Unexpected, exciting, love”
I’ve Got You
I wrote this song for a friend who was going through a rough time. I wanted her to know that her battle was my battle and that we would fight it together. I wanted to make an uplifting track to get people moving. JNR Williams jumping on the song was the icing on the cake. “Happy, uplifting, liberating”
Wait for Me
I’m a big fan of the London Jazz scene and I wanted to create something to show my appreciation. I wanted the song to sound alive by adding mostly live instruments from live horns , percussion and drums. It’s definitely a vibe! “Jazz, free, sexy”
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