Kayo Chingonyi Decodes Black' from Dave's Brit Award-Winning Album PSYCHODRAMA'
11/05/2021
Tune in as Zambian-British author Kayo Chingonyi dives into an in-depth exploration of the lyrical metaphors embedded throughout Dave's breathtaking debut album. With each song, he unpacks the modern British Black experience as Dave relates it to criminal justice, race, poverty, sexuality, toxic masculinity, and mental health stigma.
Kayo devotes one episode to Black and, in particular, Dave's performance of the track at the Brit Awards in February 2020. Dave's live rendition included new, politically charged verses that took the audience by surprise, ignited a conversation about racism in the U.K., and resonated with fans: The track saw an 1,889% increase in streams on Spotify after the performance.
For the Record asked Kayo to reflect on what makes Decode unique to the UK, as well as the impact of Dave's salient and raw rendition of Black.
Decode is a new podcast, but takes its shape after Spotify's successful DISSECT show in the U.S. What parts of the podcast are you keeping close to the original model? DISSECT really honours musical creativity, meeting each album with curiosity and passion. With Decode, we've kept that sense of reverence and also that passion, that connection to music as a universal language that can travel to all corners of the world, lodging itself in the hearts and minds of listeners. Both shows ask questions about that magical process of communion between artist, song, and listener.
How are you making it your own? How does your own background as a poet, lyricist, and vocalist shape this? As a writer all that I ever try to do is bring out the latent music in language, in words. As an emcee of Dave's stripe, that's a central concern, too. He's interested not just in what words mean but how that meaning is enacted by their sound. As far as making it my own, I think it's important to make the connection to Dave's work as a writer. There's maybe an inside perspective I can give as someone who has been writing and spitting lyrics since my early teens. I recognise the world Dave describes.
Why is it important for the U.K. to have a version of this show for itself? The U.K. is a centre of global musical culture. There are many, of course, but I think the U.K.'s role has been downplayed in recent history. Things are starting to shift, and as they do, it's important to look at musical culture from a global perspective. Black music especially is a global sound. It has always been, because our music travels with us.
What makes PSYCHODRAMA by Dave worthy of decoding first? PSYCHODRAMA is a balance of compositional and lyrical excellence. It's not just music as entertainment, although you can shock out to it. The album honours the arcane roots of music as a technology, a kind of spiritual communication across distances of culture and space. It's an album that I think will go on to define our times.
Last week you discussed the track Black, which had a moment that stood alone during the Brits last year-it even has its own Genius lyrics page. What did that rendition, at that event, signify? Adding that verse really showed Dave's ability to respond to the times and also the way a track like Black will, I'm sad to say, always be resonant in a society like ours, built on what it is built on. That was a state of the nation moment at the Brits, an opportunity to step from behind the veil of entertainment that Dave took and ran with. It was the throwing down of a gauntlet-to government, to listeners, to fellow artists.
What conversation are you hoping to spark or continue from the 2020 Brits performance to this podcast episode? I want to engage people in the layers of history that come together to shape our present moment. There is so much we could be asking questions about and, above all, I think PSYCHODRAMA invites its listeners to keep asking these questions. That's what I would like people to take from the podcast-this desire to ask.
What album are you looking forward to decoding next? So many! I'm keen to look at older albums. Look How Long by Loose Ends, Blue Lines by Massive Attack, Timeless by Goldie, or Dummy by Portishead, maybe. In terms of recent albums, Burial's Untrue made me shed tears the first time I listened to it so it's high on my list.
Ahead of the 2021 Brits, tune in to the Black episode of Decode below.
LINK: | https://newsroom.spotify.com/2021-05-11/kayo-chingonyi-decodes-black-f... |
See more stories from spotify |
Most recent headlines
03/06/2024
Dalet and Veritone Reach Agreement to Distribute, Transact and Monetize Media Archives
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, a...
18/03/2024
USC Basketball Star Juju Watkins on Fashion, Film, Friendship Bracelets, and More
Listeners turn to Spotify to connect with their favorites-from artists and album...
18/03/2024
Young professionals successfully complete vocational training at SGL's Meitingen site
Seven young professionals completed their vocational training at SGL Carbon in M...
18/03/2024
Vintage Allure
Released this past January, the music video for Ariana Grande's yes, and? brings a modern approach to vintage allure. The video was directed by Christian ...
18/03/2024
ST Engineering iDirect Unveils Intuition at SATELLITE 2024 Conference and Exhibition
Global satellite communications leader gives market a first look at its next-gen...
18/03/2024
Box to Box Films shares with MediaSilo
Box to Box Films Shares with MediaSilo Amy and Drive to Survive producer updates collaborators simply and securely Boston, MA, March 18, 2024 - Box to Box Fi...
18/03/2024
Telestream Introduces AI-Powered Tools for Rapid Content Delivery at NAB Show 2024
Telestream Introduces AI-Powered Tools for Rapid Content Delivery at NAB Show 20...
18/03/2024
Docufiction Film Bringing Down a Mountain Edited with DaVinci Resolve Studio
Docufiction Film Bringing Down a Mountain Edited with DaVinci Resolve Studio Brie Clayton March 18, 2024 0 Comments Blackmagic Design today announced ...
18/03/2024
FingerWorks Telestrators Releases Enhancements to Computer Vision Live Tracking Software at NAB 2024
FingerWorks Telestrators Releases Enhancements to Computer Vision Live Tracking ...
18/03/2024
DirecTV to Allow Subscribers to Opt Out of Local Stations
DirecTV announced a new feature over the weekend that will allow its subscribers to opt out of their local stations in return for a discount. Customers who ch...
18/03/2024
Logging and reviewing: Moving towards a sustainable workflow
Jane Sung, COO at Cinedeck, explains how broadcasters and content production companies can achieve the goal of moving towards creating a more sustainable, effic...
18/03/2024
Altice Media sold to French shipping tycoon for 1.55 billion
The deal includes BFM TV, one of the country's largest 24-hour news channels, as well as documentary channel RMC D couverte, and RMC Story By Jenny Priestl...
18/03/2024
Meet the CEO and founder
By TVBEurope Staff Published: March 18, 2024 Nick Franco tells TVBEurope how he went from being a master plasterer and refurbishing the ornate plasterwork ...
18/03/2024
Master the Avatar State: Glowing Eyes in Adobe After Effects
Master the Avatar State: Glowing Eyes in Adobe After Effects Levi Borland March 18, 2024 0 Comments In this step-by-step tutorial, learn how to recrea...
18/03/2024
Next Season of Doctor Who' on Disney Plus May 10
The next season of Doctor Who, with Ncuti Gatwa as the 15th Doctor, premieres on Disney Plus and around the world May 10. It is the first season to launch on Di...
18/03/2024
Screen Australia and VicScreen launch new Screen Careers initiative
18 03 2024 - Media release Screen Australia and VicScreen launch new Screen Careers initiative LTR Denise Eriksen, Esther Coleman Hawkins, Caroline Pitcher, K...
18/03/2024
CBC/WRAL Night Helps Bring in Over $26k for PBS NC
Capitol Broadcasting and WRAL-TV continued a decades-long tradition of supporting PBS North Carolina, our state's public television station, to good result ...
18/03/2024
Banglalink Gets Unified Licence to Deliver Superior Digital Services in Bangladesh
18 Mar 2024 Banglalink Gets Unified Licence to Deliver Superior Digital Service...
18/03/2024
Thuraya partners with Niflink to deliver telemedicine and eLearning to users across its network
Abu Dhabi, 18 March, 2024 : Abu Dhabi, 18 March 2024: Thuraya Telecommunication...
18/03/2024
Thuraya partners with Niflink to deliver telemedicine and eLearning to users across its ne...
Abu Dhabi, 18 March, 2024 : Abu Dhabi, 18 March 2024: Thuraya Telecommunication...
18/03/2024
Major League Soccer: IMG on Capturing Fan Rituals and Delivering Consistent Coverage
Major League Soccer: IMG on capturing fan rituals and delivering consistent cove...
18/03/2024
Smashing Padel: Inside Aurora's Innovative Production of the Inaugural Hexagon Cup
Smashing padel: Inside Aurora's innovative production of the inaugural Hexag...
18/03/2024
Airspeeder Teams Up With EMG for World's First Live Broadcast of Flying Car Series
Airspeeder teams up with EMG for world's first live broadcast of flying car ...
18/03/2024
Netflix Announces News About 26 Upcoming Nordic Titles - Including 12 Brand New Titles
Back to All News Netflix Announces News About 26 Upcoming Nordic Titles - Inclu...
18/03/2024
Final sprint in the AS4 market communication
Final Sprint in the AS4 Market Communication: All Arvato Systems Customers Are Ready to Go Customers for market communication AS4-ready Arvato Systems is now...
18/03/2024
Tonight on Uzalo: Nkunzi takes a drastic decision
Tonight on Uzalo: Nkunzi takes a drastic decisionDon't miss Monday, 18 March's riveting episode of South African soapie Uzalo on SABC 1 on DStv channel ...
18/03/2024
Thales to modernize Montreal Mtro blue Line,improving passengers' punctuality and train reliability
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Following a call for tenders, the Soci t de tra...
18/03/2024
Streaming today: Vida the Vet' on Netflix - 18 March 2024
Streaming today: Vida the Vet' on Netflix - 18 March 2024Looking for something to watch tonight? Check out all the new streaming releases from all your fav...
18/03/2024
Skeem Saam': Is Tobias Maswahla Evelyn's son?
Skeem Saam': Is Tobias Maswahla Evelyn's son?Is actor Sicelo Buthelezi's character Tobias Maswahla related to Deputy Principal Evelyn Maswahla in S...
18/03/2024
Tonight on Generations: Khensani tries to mend his friendship with Sphe
Tonight on Generations: Khensani tries to mend his friendship with SpheDon't miss Monday, 18 March's riveting episode of South African soapie Generation...
18/03/2024
Question: Did George Lucas rip off Dune?
Question: Did George Lucas rip off Dune?Miles Phillips explores Dune's Legacy and its echo in Star Wars, claiming that the former is among the best science ...
18/03/2024
Tonight on Skeem Saam: Jacobeth kicks Bullet to the curb
Tonight on Skeem Saam: Jacobeth kicks Bullet to the curbDon't miss Monday, 16 March's riveting episode of South African soapie Skeem Saam on SABC 1 on D...
18/03/2024
Tonight on Muvhango: Matshidiso finds incriminating information on Nkele
Tonight on Muvhango: Matshidiso finds incriminating information on NkeleDon't miss Monday, 18 March's riveting episode of South African soapie Muvhango ...
18/03/2024
Tonight on Smoke and Mirrors: In a haze of alcohol, Sakhile knocks down Fanyana
Tonight on Smoke and Mirrors: In a haze of alcohol, Sakhile knocks down FanyanaDon't miss Monday, 18 March's riveting episode of South African soapie Sm...
18/03/2024
Tonight on Scandal: Jojo's bad PR costs him more than he can afford
Tonight on Scandal: Jojo's bad PR costs him more than he can affordDon't miss Monday, 18 March's riveting episode of South African soapie Scandal! o...
18/03/2024
Tonight on Champions: Lebo's family are tearing him apart
Tonight on Champions: Lebo's family are tearing him apartDon't miss Monday, 18 March's riveting episode of South African soapie Champions on Mzansi ...
18/03/2024
Tonight on Gqeberha: Msimelelo lays down the rules at the Tshisa Nyama
Tonight on Gqeberha: Msimelelo lays down the rules at the Tshisa NyamaDon't miss Monday, 18 March's riveting episode of South African soapie Gqeberha: T...
18/03/2024
Tonight on Umkhokha: Zisebenzele makes a bet with Khululiwe that Siphamandla will do it within a week
Tonight on Umkhokha: Zisebenzele makes a bet with Khululiwe that Siphamandla wil...
18/03/2024
Cyberani and Thales enter a strategic alliance to strengthen the Kingdom's cybersecurity
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Mr. Saeed Al Saeed, CEO of Cyberani, and Mr. Pie...
18/03/2024
Thales to equip Cibao International Airport in Dominican Republic with new Air Traffic Control Radar System
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Instituto Dominicano de Aviaci n Civil (IDAC) se...
17/03/2024
WATCH: Highlights from the 2024 Cape Town Carnival [video]
WATCH: Highlights from the 2024 Cape Town Carnival [video]The Mother City's biggest annual street parade returned to Green Point on Saturday with the Cape T...
17/03/2024
WATCH: Highlights from the 2024 Cape Town Carnival
WATCH: Highlights from the 2024 Cape Town CarnivalThe Mother City's biggest annual street parade returned to Green Point on Saturday with the Cape Town Carn...
17/03/2024
Young Papi leaves Big Brother Mzansi'
Young Papi leaves Big Brother Mzansi'Young Papi was the thirteenth housemate to get evicted from the Big Brother Mzansi' reality TV show on Sunday, 17...
17/03/2024
Smoke and Mirrors': Why Thandiswa might dump Caesar
Smoke and Mirrors': Why Thandiswa might dump Caesar Smoke and Mirrors' spoilers reveal that Caesar will propose marriage to Thandiswa. Will she stay wit...
16/03/2024
Josh Brolin Drama Outer Range' Returns To Prime Video May 16
Western drama Outer Range is back with season two on Prime Video May 16. Josh Brolin stars and executive produces. He also directs the season's penultimate ...
16/03/2024
Kristen Wiig Lined Up to Host SNL' for Fifth Time
Kristen Wiig hosts Saturday Night Live for the fifth time on April 6. Wiig stars in and executive produces Palm Royale, which premieres March 20 on Apple TV Plu...
16/03/2024
Magnite, Mediaocean Join To Make Buying CTV Campaigns Easier
Media buyers using Mediaocean's Prisma platform will be able to plan, execute and reconcile ad campaigns on connected TV directly from programmers who work ...
16/03/2024
Bitmovin, Yospace Combine To Insert Ads Into Live Streams
Streaming infrastructure company Bitmovin is teaming up with ad-insertion vendor Yospace to enable broadcasters to put commercials in live-streaming programming...
16/03/2024
Bumble Engages Peacock's The Traitors' To Promote Dating Deception Detector'
Bumble, the dating service, has tapped into Peacock's murder-mystery competi...
16/03/2024
Gerald Levin, Former Time Warner CEO, Has Died
Gerald Levin, former CEO of Time Warner, died March 13. He was 84 and had battled Parkinson's disease....