23-year-old Atlanta-native, KAYLEE has used the time she has spent in quarantine to her advantage.
From age 13, KAYLEE became a self-taught guitarist and began writing her own lyrics soon after. Growing up, artists such as Rihanna, Hayley Williams, and Santana inspired her to create music that made her feel good. From then on, artists like Chloe x Halle, UPSAHL, and others have inspired KAYLEE to take a plunge with her music.
Her most recent release, “SHIT BOY,” plays upon a buoyant, electronic soundscape that has you filled with anticipation the moment it lands upon your speakers. Immersing us in a rhythmic effervescence that has us out of our seats as we glide to the music, KAYLEE exudes a unique fusion of genres as she blends R&B and Pop in her favor.
KAYLEE does a fascinating job of pulling us into her sultry croons as she harmonizes beautifully performed vocals to get an extremely blatant point across. The songwriting highlights a boy who is no good for her that continues to consume KAYLEE’s energy by attempting to drag her into his immature antics. A story that we all know too well, the relatability that leaps from this piece has us convinced that KAYLEE is talking about the same person we know inside and out. With lyrical motifs such as, ‘you wanna know if I’m free, boy talking to me costs a fee,’ we suddenly feel a surge of bad b*tch energy come over us as we become empowered to say, ‘NEXT!’
That’s exactly what you can expect from KAYLEE’s music. It’s more than just another song in rotation, it’s an experience, and a lesson all wrapped into one. Be prepared to get the dose of confidence you need with, “SHIT BOY.”
Welcome to BuzzMusic, KAYLEE, and congratulations on the release of “SHIT BOY.” This track speaks to us on so many levels! Was there a particular moment or story that shaped the inspiration for this song?
It’s a really bad story — It may not sound like a big deal but it definitely sucked. I’ve been friends with this guy (let’s call him: James) and he’d been with me through a lot, it seemed. I reached out to reconnect and things were…different. I didn’t necessarily put my finger on it but I definitely tried to keep our flow going. After a short period of time, I don’t know, James just cut me off. Stopped responding and started being aloof, it was weird. I eventually asked him what was going on and he just laid it out that we were not what I thought we were. So, sadly I lost a “friend” that day but I learned a lot and realized that he was kind of a terrible person anyway. Everything worked out!
Could you please shine a light on the creative process that you embarked on when bringing this song to life?
I was still reeling from my friend breakup and I kept singing the first two lines of the hook. I was listening to “Lo Que Paso” by Nina Cobham and something about the mood and how I was feeling — I just birthed “Shit Boy” on the spot. Like, everything I was feeling, I wrote out and just aired out my dirty laundry. I’ve always been embarrassed to write about specific things that happen to me because I worry about someone figuring it out but it’s just so cathartic; I couldn’t help it.
How has your mindset changed from the moment you created “SHIT BOY,” to this very moment now? Have you learned any lessons along the way?
I wrote “Shit Boy” fairly recently. The whole process of getting “Shit Boy” to its final stage was very quick because I knew exactly what I wanted. I’ve focused less on people liking me, “Shit Boy” reminded me that you’re not gonna get along with everyone and that’s fine. Of all the things I’ve learned since creating that track, I’ve learned to just work with what you have. Nothing goes to plan and people you think who have your best intentions — don’t.
What has been the best piece of advice you have been given on your music journey this far?
I reached out to one of my favorite artists right before I released my EP. And shockingly she responded and told me that I shouldn’t get caught up in the numbers but get caught up in the moment and what you’re feeling. I’ve had this mentality with my music career that I have to get rich quick or get famous fast — I’m really just doing it because I love it and I wake up with music in my head every day. Like, what am I supposed to do?
What's next for you?
I’m working on going on tour with everything opening back up! I have a new track out on June 26th called “I’m Unwell” and that was fun to write! I poured a lot of personal stuff into that one and I can’t wait for it to be out.