Hailing from the streets of Phoenix, AZ, Kiana Ledé is a force to be reckoned with. She’s not an artist that can be boxed in, she flourishes in all aspects of her musicality; whether it’s in singing her bohemian-infused R&B tunes, playing the piano or songwriting, three components of her artistry that can be found in her newest EP, Myself. When the 22-year-old sat down with VIBE in December she had spoken about her previous EP, Selfless and the life experiences — both painful and rewarding — that she had incorporated in her project. In Selfless, she discussed her battle with anxiety and depression, and while those two aspects of her life are still evident in her new EP, a more common theme throughout the six-track project is, love.
The opening song on Myself, “Can I” finds Kiana Ledé crooning about a love that she just can’t seem to let go of. “Made a mistake/I keep it straight with you/I wasn’t capable of keeping away from you/I can’t even flex/’Cause not even time/And not even lies, could take me away from you.” The track is definitely one people can relate to; that one relationship that may have run its course, but it’s the hardest to forget and surrender.
On “Heavy”, the fifth track off her EP, Kiana Ledé allows herself to get more vulnerable on the acoustic beat. She confesses that she doesn’t have it all together, her priorities aren’t “straight,” she’s not clear which version of herself she should be and she admits to faking strength rather than “showing weakness.” The Republic Records artist pours her insecurities about herself and love into the song, offering fans an inside look into the ups and downs of both.
While many of the songs on the follow up to Selfless are the perfect soundtracks for a quiet night at home, Kiana Ledé supplied her fans with a dance record fitting for a night out. With an assist from Offset, she was able to create the record “Bouncin,” that’s more catchy than it has more than any right to be. “Something/My body’s saying something/I’m underwater, drowning/I know that I ain’t dripping/Can’t leave without it.”
Myself is the EP that Kiana Ledé stans needed to keep them satiated while she works on her debut album. Although it’s only six tracks, the songs have enough replay value to last until then.
