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Yaeji is a singer, songwriter, and producer from New York. During her childhood, she moved between Queens, Atlanta, and Seoul. While she was at college in the States, she started DJing, and releasing her own music. That led to two EPs in 2017, and since then, she’s also done remixes for Dua Lipa, Charli XCX, and Robyn. Yaeji won the International Breakthrough Award at the AIM Awards in 2020. This week she’s releasing her debut album, With A Hammer.

For this episode, I talked to Yaeji about her song “Passed Me By.” She sings the song in Korean and English, and she told me how using both languages gives her a broader palette to express her ideas.

You can buy or stream “Passed Me By” here.

Illustration by Carlos Lerma.

For a transcript of this episode, click here.

footnotes:
Pursuit of Happiness (Nightmare)
Waldorf Quantum – Synth
Konglish

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Seal is a multi-Grammy-winning singer and songwriter from England. His song “Kiss from a Rose” was first released in 1994, on his second album. It was a huge hit, thanks in part to being featured in the movie Batman Forever. It landed on the top ten charts in multiple countries, and eventually went quadruple platinum in the US. At the 1996 Grammys, it won Song of the Year, Record of the Year, and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.

“Kiss from a Rose” becoming a hit was not a foregone conclusion, though. Seal almost didn’t record it. And when it was first released, it didn’t make much of a splash. But for this episode, Seal and his longtime collaborator, producer Trevor Horn, told me the story of what it took to bring “Kiss from a Rose” to life.

You can buy or stream “Kiss from a Rose” here.

Illustration by Carlos Lerma.

For a transcript of this episode, click here.

footnotes:
“Killer” – song by Adamski featuring vocals from Seal
ZTT Records
Propaganda
Frankie Goes to Hollywood
“Slave to the Rhythm” – Grace Jones song
Sarm Studios
Chris Bruce – guitarist
Jamie Muhoberac – keyboardist
Amp Fiddler – keyboardist
Harvey Mason – drummer
Charley Drayton – bassist
Betsy Cook
Bob Cavallo – Seal’s manager at the time
Joel Schumacher – film director

 

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Kenny Beats is a hip-hop producer who’s been making beats and producing songs for other artists since 2010. He’s got a long list of collaborations, with rappers like Vince Staples, Freddie Gibbs, and Denzel Curry. In 2022, he did something he wasn’t really ever expecting to do, which was to release an album of his own. The album is called Louie, and it’s a tribute to Kenny’s father.
I talked to Kenny about the song “Still,” the first song he made specifically for this project. It features guest vocals from JPEGMafia and Omar Apollo, and a sample from gospel singer Linda Kemp. Louie includes a lot of tracks where you can hear Kenny’s dad’s voice, and even though “Still” isn’t one of them, as Kenny explains, his relationship with his dad is embedded in the song’s DNA.

You can buy or stream “Still” here.

Illustration by Carlos Lerma.

For a transcript of this episode, click here.

footnotes:
Click here to purchase Louie on LP, CD, or cassette, and to see Kenny’s dad on the cover
Click here for Kenny’s YouTube series, The Cave
IDLES
Ramona Park Broke My Heart