New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Zimbabwe-born British artist KWAYE has released his latest EP, Love & Affliction, today via Mind of a Genius / Warner Bros. Records. The EP's six tracks blend soul, R&B, pop and more, displaying KWAYE's diversity and mastery of many styles that have earned him over 15 million plays across his eight releases so far. The first single "
What Have You Done" was praised by Complex for being sentimental and upbeat, but deeper than meets the eye, as the song tackles the rediscovery of identity and pieces of
Black History that aren't mentioned in Western textbooks. They further praised it as, "Instead of perfectly matching the tone of the lyrics, the production creates a contrast-inviting listeners to dance through their pain rather than sulking in it. ... the pain KWAYE sings about isn't just another romantic heartbreak. It's far deeper than that. The heartache come from generational trauma and pain, which he aimed to represent throughout his new video."
KWAYE's latest single "
Paralyzed" caps off the EP, a powerful and heartfelt track that tells the journey of learning to live without judgement and becoming the person you wish to be. KWAYE is also making his first-ever live performance debut on Tuesday, October 30th at London's OMEARA at 7:30pm BST. Tickets have sold out, but fans can get a sneak peak of his live voice by watching his "
Purple Rain" cover and his "
Paralyzed" acoustic performance.
The London-raised artist was discovered in the back of an Uber while studying abroad at UCLA, taking classes in African-American studies and the music industry. Within a week of landing he met a producer and the first thing they created together was a demo for what would become his breakout single "Cool Kids." While still figuring out his way around the city, KWAYE was picked up in Downtown LA by an Uber driven by a former A&R executive, and after hearing "
Cool Kids" he passed it along to Mind of a Genius. MOAG provided KWAYE with a place to work and record, and within just a couple weeks he was the label's first UK signing.
A student of not only the Zimbabwean music his family brought with them to England, but neosoul icons like D'Angelo and
John Legend and funky boundary-pushers like Thundercat - not to mention unexpected influences like
Tracy Chapman and the
Eagles - KWAYE uses flourishes of pop and classic house music to juice up a breezy, funky version of modern soul miles apart from dour alt-R&B. A multi-instrumentalist who plays viola, sax, and guitar, he's been performing on stage since childhood in venues ranging from open mic nights to the West End. His art and style emphasise Zimbabwean colour and swagger matched with the clean, smart lines of London fashion. His sense of style extends seamlessly into his sonic identity, blending into one complete aesthetic whole with the effortless grace of a veteran pop star. KWAYE is a new kind of artist, a utopian global citizen, bouncing from city to city, continent to continent, picking up influences and energy along the way.
