iamkyami releases new single ichigo (BITCH IM BACK)

So we’re back again. Yeah, I take a lot of hiatus but I’d prefer to call it a refocus. When I stop doing one thing, I’m always doing something else. Not that anyone would know that because I don’t believe in posting everything online. I’m starting to think I should though. Maybe it’s my refocus into Tiktok but as an artist, isn’t everything art? Even when its shit? Anyway, I’ve released a new single today. Its a big deal to me, partially because I’m self-releasing again.

In 2021 I announced my first signing to a record label and I thought everything was going well. Until it wasn’t. I want to make it clear that I’m not trying to slander the label I was at in any way but I always want to be able to share my experience honestly. There’s so much I could say, but the biggest takeaway from being signed and then leaving the label only two years later is that I always knew what was right for me and I should have listened to my gut. At the time, I felt like taking money from a label would help me take my career to new heights but in reality, it was the opposite. Having to stand your own ground about how you want things to go when you’re going up against people that have been doing this for years is hard. I thought I could do it and I was wrong. I was signed without a manager, and I really think I should have considered that. A manager plays such a huge role between yourself and labels, brands, etc. because at the end of the day, I’m an artist and I’m sensitive about my shit. I felt frustrated trying to communicate why my project was failing with the label and wrongfully believed that when I spoke, others would listen. One major problem I felt made things difficult is my identity. My label hired a PR agent for me that literally wanted to pitch my music to GRM Daily. When I saw that, my face went hot and I started feeling so angry but I felt like when I spoke up about this, it wasn’t met with the energy that it should have been. I don’t expect white people to understand the nuances of these experiences and the micro-aggressive nature of constantly being misplaced among genres that I don’t belong in but like, at least you could try?

I constantly felt like I was misunderstood. Yes, I’m mixed-race Black and Japanese but just because I have an afro doesn’t mean I make traditionally Black music. What does that even mean nowadays? I could write a whole blog post about it honestly. I hate that the music industry in general is constantly trying to box Black artists into genres they clearly don’t belong in. This happened when pitching my music to Spotify too. I was told this was done by the distributors but it doesn’t matter who it was, it was such a slap to the face. A single I was really proud of called When I Call ft Lazygirl is very clearly, an indie pop banger. There is not a HINT of RnB in that song. Not an ounce. Yet when I went to view my pitch a few days before release, the genre choice was RnB. Nothing else. It’s lazy and I don’t believe things like this would happen to me if I were white. These experiences I’m talking about are small things compared to many other identity-charged instances but little things pile up to make you feel like you’re going insane. At the end of the first EP release, I was ready to part ways with the label. Contact withered away to one email every 4 months and eventually, a meeting with the label revealed their lost interest in my project and the feeling was mutual tbh. At the time, I still felt I needed the label for my own optics; for people to take me seriously. But a few months later, I realized I haven’t given myself enough credit.

So today, I want to celebrate me. How far I’ve come. The things I have accomplished. The things I’ve had to endure. I’m resilient but even more so, I believe in myself and my dream. It might sound cringe but to be very frank, I couldn’t give more of a fuck. If anyone is going to believe in me, it’s me. I’ve been the key player in everything I’ve accomplished so yeah, Imma go ahead and talk my shit! Today’s release comes with a sigh of relief; I did it. It might not be the most perfect release in the world but I’m a fond believer in perfection by trial and error. I have to do things my way and this is the perfect song to signify the end of an era and a start of a new one.

I wrote ichigo nearly two years ago. I played it at live shows and it was the most popular song of the bunch. I’ve wanted to release this song for so long but because I was tied into a label, it wasn’t possible. My partner, TD_Nasty, relentlessly mixed and mastered this track after we spent a good few hours in our living room perfecting the sound. I could have never done it without his endless support and I am forever grateful to be so lucky. There’s something truly magical about making music in a home studio and being a part of the process of mixing and mastering it. It’s a special bond that Connor and I have developed over the years. We actually struggled to make music together for a long time but ichigo is something we’re both very proud of.

ichigo has become pretty significant in my life; it shows me how much I have changed since becoming an artist. My identity is something I hold very near and dear to my heart; Black American, Japanese, partially first gen immigrant and partially not, genderqueer and queer in my sexuality and knowing the difference. I’ve pulled so much of me out that I feel proud to know I’m living my truth, no denying it. When I started writing ichigo, I wanted to write something that spoke to all of my identity as one last kiss goodbye to the safe sound of music I’ve been making since 2018. Exploring my mother’s native tongue and experimenting with that in Japanese was oddly very easy. I don’t speak much Japanese and definitely not fluently so I asked my brother and his girlfriend to help me execute the lyrics properly. If it’s one thing I’m not gonna do, it’s put lyrics in a song that don’t make sense. I loved the idea of summer strawberry season and the prospect of summer romance amongst strawberry fields and I injected that into ichigo. I couldn’t deny the feeling of wanting to add a splash of J-pop in the production and layered with the head-bopping drum groove, it was a perfect match.

I’m happy to let ichigo speak for itself for I wanted to tell you a little bit about it too. It’s been a wild ride arriving to this day but I’m happy to be here! There’s plenty of new music coming out this year, some of which may surprise you. Just know I’m always elevating. You can find my full discography on all streaming platforms. Available to buy on Bandcamp too if you’re feeling spicy.

All the love,

Kyami