Forever, Ya Girl
| Forever, Ya Girl | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | March 27, 2020 | |||
| Recorded | 2017–2020 | |||
| Length | 42:19 | |||
| Label | Forever | |||
| Producer |
| |||
| KeiyaA chronology | ||||
| ||||
Forever, Ya Girl is the debut studio album by American singer, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer KeiyaA.[1][2] It was released on March 27, 2020, through Forever Recordings.[3][4] It appeared on several year-end lists.[5]
Background
[edit]The album was recorded between 2017 and 2020 in New York City and Chicago.[6] The cover artwork was designed by Jefferson Harris, with a photograph taken by Rahim Fortune.[5] Music videos were released for "Negus Poem 1 & 2"[5] and "I! Gits! Weary!".[7]
Release
[edit]The album was originally self-released as a digital download on March 27, 2020.[5] The cassette edition of the album was released on June 22, 2020.[5] To coincide with the Bandcamp Friday on December 4, 2020, she released three versions of the album: a CD, a cassette, and a print companion called On Returning My Quikest Language Back to My Mouth.[5]
The vinyl edition of the album was released on March 27, 2021.[8] It was re-released on August 9, 2024, through XL Recordings.[9]
Critical reception
[edit]| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Pitchfork | 8.2/10[4] |
Claire Lobenfeld of Pitchfork stated, "On her debut album Forever, Ya Girl, the Chicago-bred, New York-based singer/producer/multi-instrumentalist KeiyaA merges Earl Sweatshirt-ish grime and the grit of deconstructed club with hints of psych and funk."[4] Andrew Sacher of BrooklynVegan commented that "Its ingredients — R&B, funk, jazz, psychedelia — are styles of music often associated with groups of musicians who harmonize and improvise with each other, but you can really feel how Forever, Ya Girl is an album by a sole individual who was in her own head while making it."[10]
Accolades
[edit]| Publication | List | Rank | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clash | Clash Albums of the Year 2020 | 39
|
|
| Complex | The Best Albums of 2020 | 50
|
|
| Crack | The Top 50 Albums of 2020 | 43
|
|
| Esquire | The 50 Best Albums of 2020 | 15
|
|
| The Fader | The 50 Best Albums of 2020 | 37
|
|
| The Guardian | The 50 Best Albums of 2020 | 32
|
|
| Okayplayer | Okayplayer's Best Albums of 2020 | 7
|
|
| Paste | The 50 Best Albums of 2020 | 44
|
|
| Pitchfork | The 50 Best Albums of 2020 | 22
|
|
| Vice | The 100 Best Albums of 2020 | 26
|
Track listing
[edit]All tracks are written by KeiyaA.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "I Thot There Was One Wound in This House, There's Two" | 2:19 |
| 2. | "Way Eye" | 1:18 |
| 3. | "Rectifiya" | 3:58 |
| 4. | "Hvnli" | 3:09 |
| 5. | "Hvnli (Reprise)" | 1:47 |
| 6. | "Do Yourself a Favor" | 4:27 |
| 7. | "A Mile, a Way" | 2:13 |
| 8. | "I Want My Things!" | 2:21 |
| 9. | "Change the Story (Interlude)" | 0:21 |
| 10. | "Every Nigga Is a Star" | 2:37 |
| 11. | "I! Gits! Weary!" | 2:06 |
| 12. | "Negus Poem 1 & 2" | 3:39 |
| 13. | "Forreal???" | 2:38 |
| 14. | "F.W.U." | 3:00 |
| 15. | "Nu World Burdens" | 3:24 |
| 16. | "Keep It Real" | 3:01 |
| Total length: | 42:19 | |
Personnel
[edit]Credits adapted from liner notes.[21]
- KeiyaA – vocals, production
- DJ Blackpower – additional production (3, 12, 14, 16)
- DJ Cowriiie – additional production (15)
- Bstfrnd – mixing, mastering
- Jefferson Harris – cover design, artwork
- Rahim Fortune – photography
References
[edit]- ^ Kent-Smith, Jasmine (March 26, 2021). "KeiyaA to release debut album Forever, Ya Girl on vinyl". Crack. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
- ^ Morris, Kadish (November 15, 2021). "R&B singer KeiyaA: 'I felt like I was broken and needed to be fixed'". The Guardian. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
- ^ Pierre, Alphonse (March 27, 2020). "Our 10 Favorite Things in Rap This Week". Pitchfork. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
- ^ a b c Lobenfeld, Claire (April 22, 2020). "KeiyaA: Forever, Ya Girl". Pitchfork. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f Xie, Teresa (February 10, 2021). "KeiyaA levels up even with live music shut down". Chicago Reader. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
- ^ Heinzl, Jeff (May 10, 2020). "KeiyaA: Forever, Ya Girl". Spectrum Culture. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
- ^ Gaillot, Ann-Derrick (January 26, 2021). "KeiyaA: The artist is here for her things". Crack. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
- ^ Bloom, Madison (March 25, 2021). "KeiyaA Announces Vinyl Pressing of Forever, Ya Girl". Pitchfork. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
- ^ "Forever Ya Girl - KeiyaA | Release Info". AllMusic. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
- ^ Sacher, Andrew (July 21, 2020). "5 great albums from 2020 you may have missed". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
- ^ "Clash Albums Of The Year 2020". Clash. December 14, 2020. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
- ^ "The Best Albums of 2020". Complex. December 1, 2020. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
- ^ "The Top 50 Albums of 2020". Crack. December 3, 2020. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
- ^ "The 50 Best Albums of 2020". Esquire. December 11, 2020. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
- ^ "The 50 best albums of 2020". The Fader. December 15, 2020. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
- ^ "The 50 best albums of 2020: the full list". The Guardian. December 1, 2020. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
- ^ "Okayplayer's Best Albums of 2020". Okayplayer. December 23, 2020. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
- ^ "The 50 Best Albums of 2020". Paste. November 30, 2020. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
- ^ "The 50 Best Albums of 2020". Pitchfork. December 8, 2020. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
- ^ "The 100 Best Albums of 2020". Vice. December 8, 2020. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
- ^ KeiyaA (2020). Forever, Ya Girl (CD booklet). Quik Language.
External links
[edit]- Forever, Ya Girl at Discogs (list of releases)