This is the pop song song of the spring. This is a moving on song, a "I should have known better anthem".
Pop powerhouse LU KALA joins the Village and is gifting us with her spirited new single "Body Knew." The Toronto-based songstress continues to pave the way for female empowerment and bold, in-your-face pop with her norm-defying look and sound.
With a distinct voice that elevates your mood upon first listen, LU KALA's unique gift is not just her vivacious sound but her rebellious cause. While donning fiery orange hair to match her personality, LU KALA is redefining what it means to be a pop star. But much like everyone else, she suffers from the heartbreak of someone moving on. In "Body Knew" KALA breaks down her walls as she wishes aloud that she could move on.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo native immigrated to Canada with her family at the age of three. Gifted with a talent for writing striking pop tracks and memorable hooks, the independent musician has written for local artists, as well as R&B star Jennifer Hudson. The "Dangerous" track, co-written with DVSN (Drake, DJ Khaled, Majid Jordan) and Stephen Kozmeniuk (Dua Lipa, Madonna, Lights) landed on Hudson's 2014 studio album, JHUD.
Although she achieved songwriting success, behind the lyrics was a voice waiting to be released, a voice that didn't conform to the "black girl" R&B vocal style producers assumed they'd hear. Instead her sound-- raw, intensely emotive and mercurial with an ability to lean into rock, soul and pop, at will-- defied it. "With me being both black and plus size, I think people expect a very specific voice and style. And while I can sing those songs, I express myself differently," explains KALA.
Unwilling to vocally bend into the box black female performers are often expected to exist in, KALA has embraced her distinctive sound, transforming her trajectory as an artist, and a woman, in the process: "Everything about me says, 'Nah, I'm going to be in any space I choose to be in. And I'm going to command it.'"
KALA raised eyebrows in 2018 with the release of her debut track "DCMO (Don't Count Me Out)." The self-empowered pop anthem disarms with frank and deeply vulnerable lyrics. With over 1 Million streams-Apple and Spotify combined- "DCMO" has landed on official playlists such as Spotify's It's a Bop, Indie Pop Chillout, Morning Commute and New Music Friday Canada, as well as Apple Music's, Breaking Pop playlist, Pop Deluxe and Pure Pop Radio. "DCMO" also cracked the top 40 on the Billboard Canada CHR chart after gaining airplay on Top 40 stations across the country.
Review by Hannah Schneider