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Credit: Radhika Muthanna
From the opening line, “I’m petrified of letting you in, I’m terrified for you to see my skin”, ‘Vulnerability’ is both soulful and confessional – a diaristic reflection on the surrender that comes with finally allowing yourself to truly feel and be seen. Led by a jaunty piano and a delicate drum groove, the track beautifully frames Konyikeh’s unmistakable tone – a voice rich with conviction, emotion, and the kind of clarity that defines genuine soul.
Set in a bustling London café, the video places Konyikeh front and centre as the world around her begins to transform. The camera drifts between her and the surrounding chaos – customers, waiters, and passersby – all seemingly pulled into her orbit. What begins as an ordinary moment quickly unfolds into a spontaneous eruption of music, emotion and connection: a diner taps out a rhythm on the drums, another joins in on the keys, a woman waiting for the bus outside lifts her trumpet, and soon the waiters are moving in time to the beat.
It’s been an exhilarating few years for Konyikeh, marked by a string of accolades and standout moments. 2023 saw the release of her debut EP, Litany – a bold and memorable introduction that earned her a poignant performance of EP standout “Girls Like Us” on the acclaimed COLORS platform. What followed were a series of unforgettable experiences, from captivating audiences worldwide on tour with Sam Smith and Tems to releasing her second EP, Problem With Authority, a daring and sonically ambitious evolution from her debut.
Konyikeh began writing songs as a teenager, using music as a way to hold herself together through difficult times. As a child, her world was filled with sound – from musical theatre to her mum’s Destiny’s Child and Jennifer Hudson CDs, opera, and the Kenyan Boys’ Choir. A music scholar at an academically rigorous school in West London, she spent her Saturdays at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where over ten years she studied violin and piano, performed in the orchestra and chamber choir, and immersed herself in music theory. It was there she was taught to play with feeling, to draw out her deepest emotions when performing – an approach that continues to shape her artistry a decade later.
Konyikeh is an artist forging her own path. With quiet power and determination, her new music captures the journey of a woman reclaiming herself and stepping fully into her own skin. Stay tuned, more from Konyikeh is on the way.
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