A Love Song for Every Mood
Kiana Ledé’s Songs Show the Highs and Lows of Every Relationship
Hypnotized by her beauty, Kiana Ledé’s crowd couldn’t stop shouting compliments from the audience. Ledé wore a baby pink romper with flowing sleeves that swept the floor, and a belt that wrapped her hips in rhinestones.
Before everyone could ask themselves “How can someone look so beautiful?” Alec King began the concert.
King, a rapper from Los Angeles, sang a few of his most popular songs during his opening set. He introduced his song “I Hate Models” by saying “they just broke my heart too many times.”
The lights flashed to make the stage look like a succession of photos, King the star of every shot.
“If you take anything from my set,” King said, “I want it to be that love comes from the heart. Happiness is self made.” He concluded his performance with “Self Made,” a song about growth and introspection.
Ledé began her concert with the first song off of her Myself EP, “Can I.” The bassist was showing just as much energy as Ledé, dancing in place and singing to the crowd.
“Can I” seamlessly transitioned into “Shawty,” the next song from Myself. “Can I” is about the desperate cravings new love brings, while “Shawty” slows things down.
“Get in the Way” takes us to the difficult end of a relationship. The first song from her 2018 album Selfless brings to life the back-and-forth that happens right before a breakup—staying together when things don’t feel like they used to, ignoring all the red flags, and making regrettable decisions.
As Ledé introduced her next song, a fan announced that it was their birthday. Ledé sang into the mic. “Is that a good note?” she said before leading the crowd in song.
Ledé sang one of her first singles from 2017, an upbeat song about comeuppance: “Fairplay.”
King was brought back on stage to perform their song “Larry David” together. Ledé crooned over the chorus, her voice smooth like silk.
King retired from the stage and the lights went black, except for the spotlight on Ledé. “All this love is so sweet,” she said. A member of the audience asked, “How are you doing?” At that, Ledé appeared completely taken aback, hand on her heart.
“Love yourself! The reason we are all here today is because I decided to fucking love myself. Embrace those weaknesses, embrace those strengths, and love yourself.” — Kiana Ledé
“You just asked me how I am? I’m good, thank you. I’m going to start tearing up!” Ledé paused as she collected herself, “I’ve been feeling really low energy lately. I mean, I’m having the time of my life, but travelling on tour really exhausts you.”
The shows and the small moments that connect her to her fans are what motivate her to keep going, she said. “Thank you for asking me how I am, that’s so sweet,” Ledé said, her smile covering her face.
The next song, “Heavy,” was written during a rough time in Ledé’s life. “I couldn’t get out of bed,” she explained. Ledé didn’t feel like herself, and despite her efforts, those closest to her noticed how she had changed for the worst. “You got to check up on your friends, even the strong ones,” Ledé said.
“Love yourself! The reason we are all here today is because I decided to fucking love myself. Embrace those weaknesses, embrace those strengths, and love yourself.”
As the song ended and Jenifer Lewis’ motivational voicemail played, Ledé walked off stage with watery eyes.
There was a few seconds of silence, quickly filled by someone screaming “Come back Kiana!”
She came back to the stage singing a cover of “Weak,” a hip-hop classic by SWV. A rich sounding love song that matches Ledé’s original music.
Ledé ended the concert with two of her most popular songs. “Ex,” a slower song that shows off her falsettos, and had the audience swaying side to side in unison. “Ex” is about growing apart in a relationship but desperately clinging to the beginning, when things were easy.
“Bouncin” featuring Offset, is the opposite. It was the song the crowd was waiting for. “Bouncin” is a song for dancing, a song to get ready to, and a song for a road trip. It was the perfect way to end the concert. Everyone belting out the lyrics alongside Ledé, hands in the air, hips bouncing to the beat.
Ledé’s music covers every emotion felt in a relationship. The rose-coloured beginning, the comfortably steady middle, the growing apart, the nostalgia of better times, and the rollercoaster that leads to the end. Ledé paints a picture with every song she writes, a picture that everyone can see themselves in.
