KEIYAA - hooke’s law

Explain to me exactly how I'm supposed to thrive, when

All I've ever done is survive, and

All I've ever done is rely on myself?

The artist is weary, exhausted. The late-capitalist economy barely turns anymore, an anxiety-inducing dissatisfaction undermines every hint of success and peace of mind, leaving behind a trail of more or less repressed doubts and anger. It might not be the most inviting dish to serve up for listening, but that's exactly the theme of "stupid prizes", the disenchanted lead single that winds around a muffled dream-pop keyboard line, making the effect, if anything, even more disorienting. Things don't go any better for the homeowner at the center of "i h8 u", another heavy modern figure that could easily stand in for the social paralysis of millions of people.

How long can this labor pain last? In physics, Hooke's law states that an elastic body undergoes a deformation directly proportional to the stress applied to it, with the constant of proportionality depending on the nature of the material itself. But the law only holds up to a certain point: pressures beyond the elastic limit can irreparably compromise the structure. It's KeiyaA's way of expressing the will to always return to her own place, even while aware that, sooner or later, the game might break for good. Inevitable, in other words, but always perceptive; we'd already seen it five years ago with the introverted "Forever, Ya Girl", but with the more polished "hooke's law" the artist further expands her poetics, delivering a listen that's prickly and impenetrable, yet full of allure.

At the heart of the record lies a free-form, psychedelic r&b, wrapped in digital haze and vocal lines with an incidental cut, driving the message home with few but pointed production flourishes. It comes through best on "take it", an excellent piece of songcraft brushed with Thundercat-style free-jazz drumming, surrendering without reservation to the most indulgent sensuality - the lyrics make a veiled nod to the same cherry pie that belonged to Sade. Love, in fact, is another central theme of the record - it can be ecstatic, on "make good", or lost in its own erotic body, through "this time" and "k.i.s.s.", two tracks cut with hip-hop flair. Because "hooke's law" doesn't come out of nowhere: behind it lies both the nu-r&b tradition of Kissey Asplund, the lo-fi one of Anna Domino, and the conscious one of the late THEESatisfaction, but KeiyaA steers it all with a firm hand and a shape-shifting character.

Here she is again, gripped by bitterness over a dusting of breakbeat as she urges "get close 2 me", then enveloped by the micro-drum 'n' bass of "fire sign oath", or rather out of sorts on "be quiet!!!". The furious "break it" stands out, played over a mangled footwork beat - KeiyaA never loses her composure, but when she's got a bone to pick with someone, she makes sure they know it, a reminder that among her ancestors are also very strong women, like Erykah Badu and Jill Scott.

So there are odd postmodern qualities that make "hooke's law" a record that's tremendously niche from a compositional standpoint, yet capable of speaking to just about everyone, helped too by the care put into the striking music videos released so far, which effectively expand its imagery.

Of course KeiyaA isn't aiming for massive crowds, but she knows how to present herself with an honesty that stings. She lets herself be gripped by shame on "thirsty", a track in which she confesses her own weaknesses, then drifts with rapturous despair into the progressive prayer "devotions", which, caught between depression and a crisis of faith, reads like an inner battle. The listen closes with the most elaborate track on the tracklist, backed by a crackling drum machine: "until we meet again" is a personal statement of intent, made up of apologies to the audience and to herself, before shifting, from the two-minute mark, into a brisk alt-dance march laced with streaks of digital horns and what reads as a personal exhortation - even if we were never to see her again, the message is universal:

How long must I wait

To run away

From this place full of hate

I want to fight

As long as I win

As long as it's right

Out there

I can start again

Start again

[…]

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05/11/2025