Konyikeh Breaks Down New EP ‘Litany’
Konyikeh is a voice to remember. An assured, emotive talent, she seems to pour her heart and soul into each note. A flurry of singles have caught our attention, with this vivid UK talent now sharing debut EP ‘Litany’ in full.
Out now, it’s a profound work, with the title referring to a healing prayer she connects with her youth in the Catholic Church. Although she not doesn’t regard herself to be religious, this notion of soothing yourself remains.
“It’s kind of a little prayer to soothe yourself,” she says, “And the things that I wrote in my teenage years that held me together; these are songs from the darkest time in my life. They’re like little prayers to myself.”
Acts of self-healing, ‘Litany’ is the starting point of a bold talent – in this track-by-track guide, she brings her ideas into focus.
Sorrow
This was the first song I ever wrote, when I was around 13 or 14. I knew I wanted to be an artist but I had no idea what I would sing about as I hadn’t experienced all of the emotions that other artists would sing about, all I knew at that time was sorrow.
Teenage Dreams
‘Teenage Dreams’ came about when I was reminiscing on the differences of adolescence that people may have and looking at the idea of ‘all isn’t what it seems’. It’s quite a personal track for me as it explores themes of abandonment and rejection and comparing myself to my peers at the time.
‘I Cry’
There is so much pressure from the outside world for us to put on a brave face. To most people it probably seems like everyone is leading the perfect life except them, when actually if you look behind the curtain you see that everyone is going through something. Some people’s masks are just fitted better than others.
‘Joy And Pride’
‘Joy And Pride’ is about the breakdown of a relationship. When emotions are raised and both parties have done wrong and there doesn’t seem to be a reconciliation on the horizon, one still yearns to be accepted by the other and continue to be seen as their ‘Joy And Pride’.
‘Girls Like Us’
Being a dark-skin Black girl, as a teenager, love was a somewhat confusing subject. You were basically told by the media you were undesirable so to be honest when fragments of what seemed like love came my way I would be in a rush to take it.
—
