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[October 19th 2023] North-West London hailing, Ivor-Novello nominated musician Kamal. releases his new single “Kerosene.” Written by Kamal. and featuring Sie, the new single speaks on burn out culture; how the youth of today are stuck in a bitter cycle of loneliness, whilst simultaneously suffocating from extreme exposure to social media.
Elusive singer Sie also lives in NW London and connected with Kamal. online. Sie has built an underground following, anonymously posting introspective verses via notes app. Connecting beautifully on “Kerosene”, Sie and Kamal. intertwine their direct experiences of growing up in the world around us, all whilst trying to work out who they are.
Produced by Jonny Coffer (Beyoncé, FKA Twigs) and Kamal.’s long-term collaborator J Moon, the single lands alongside a dystopian video, shot in Las Vegas by Kamal. himself, and visual artist Detroit Dyer Miller (Ice Spice, Gunna. Whilst in LA recording new music, Kamal took a 24 hour break to shoot the video especially, capturing the intensity of a young and creative mind.
Speaking on the sentiment behind “Kerosene”, Kamal. explains:
“‘kerosene’ is about the frustration, pressure and isolation which is descending upon the younger generations specifically. the overwhelming exposure we are constantly subjected to via the internet, the burden of capitalistic and rugged individualistic principles which are reinforced by our governments, unaffordable living conditions and endless consumption; all of these are looming threats to our mental health, during a period of time when we are still trying to discover who we even are and what we live for.
simply existing in modern society can feel like a chore, and i wanted this song to encapsulate how difficult it can be for young people to get by these days. it’s easy for us to become burnt-out and uninspired.
i found sie online posting snippets of music, and found her writing style to be parallel to mine in it’s blend of the introspective and the existential, so the pairing seemed perfect, and i feel as though this song captures the essence of both of us very well.”
A truly incredible song-writer, Kamal. sings with a sweet honeyed tone, offered on a sharp knife of honesty and unfiltered introspection of his own things, and observation of those around him.
“Kerosene” follows his previous “people don’t change”, and of course Kamal.’s most recent project so here you are, drowning. Earlier, this year, becoming a truly unavoidable presence, and fresh off the back of an extensive Asia tour, Kamal. found himself propelled into the charts on Central Cee and Dave’s collaborative project Split Decision. Having produced and featured on the third track, “Our 25th Birthday”, Kamal. returned for the second time into Dave’s vast fanbase – a follow up moment from “Mercury”, which was released two years ago.
Not content with this level of takeover, Kamal. went on to perform a headline sold-out show at Islington Assembly Hall, with Dave making a special guest appearance for the first ever live performance of “Our 25th Birthday” – no mean feat.
Having amassed an awe-inspiring 500 million streams, Kamal is a firm and ever-growing presence, in the competitive world of UK music; a clear front-runner who’s forging a unique and inimitable path.
Kamal.’s music chronicles both the highs and lows of life. His lyrical content spans romantic relationships, the seclusion of your own mind, the repetitive, the mundane, and even derealisation and anxiety. Often relating to the more complicated yet familiar feelings, Kamal.’s lyrics have the ability to hold the listener’s hand through shared experience. He is a truly exceptional storyteller.
Kamal. was always destined to be a musician. A skilled pianist, his early influences were found in the likes of Maxwell, D’Angelo, Erykah Badu and Bill Withers. Formulating his own sound, he first began to compose tracks to his ukulele and in 2019, uploaded his first recorded song –“smilingdownthephone” on soundcloud. Since then, he hasn’t looked back – garnering co-signs from the likes of NME, British GQ, British Vogue, i-D, Dazed and more.
An impactful voice, telling tales of his generation, Kamal. moves with the vision and presence of someone much older than his years. A truly unique artist, his innate musical talent has placed him firmly on the map.
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