A Dazed Day Out with Kwn7 Images
There’s a new TikTok dance doing the rounds. Masc lesbians, butches and studs around the world are using American sign language to spell out the lyrics “A, B, say my name, spell it out / If you start to shake, I can hold you down on this bed frame”. Naturally, a key part of the choreography is the part when they enact holding someone down on a bed frame.
The mischievous perpetrator responsible for these lewd lyrics is Walthamstow’s own artful dodger, Kwn (pronounced kay-one). The song in question, “Do What I Say”, came out two months ago and has over ten million combined streams on Spotify and YouTube. But it’s also not the first time that the 25-year-old R&B artist has gone viral this year.
In March, she dropped the music video to “Worst Behaviour” featuring Kehlani, and though it’s a simple video – filmed in a sparse Kings Cross studio – from the moment the two artists began making out against a car, it was destined for internet virality. This time last year, Kwn had just celebrated surpassing 10k Instagram followers. Now, she’s at almost half a million.
Growing up in east London, Kwn knew by the time she was 11 years old that she wanted to pursue music. She started making beats on SoundCloud, before enrolling in East London Arts and Music, the arts college co-founded by Will Kennard of Chase & Status. After college, she worked as a chef, first at UK restaurant chain The Ivy, and then at Covent Garden’s Middle Eight Hotel, all while juggling her music career and navigating life under her former label, Black Butter.
In 2022, Kwn spoke to Dazed exclusively to announce her debut single “wn way or another” – three years on, we thought it was time for a catch up. On a bright day in May, I met Kwn outside Walthamstow’s E17 Nails, where we got manicures before diving into boneless chicken thighs at Nando’s. Below, between peri-peri mouthfuls, we discuss dream first dates, Kwn’s upcoming EP, and how exactly that Kehlani kiss came about.
Hey Kwn, what are we up to today?
Kwn: Well, I needed to get my nails done, they’re well overdue. Then we’re going to Nando’s because I love Nando’s.
Do you often get manicures?
Kwn: Recently I’ve been getting them more because I’ve realised that my hands need to be looking ten out of ten all the time.
The online reaction to ‘Do What I Say’ has been huge, did you expect it?
Kwn: No, I didn’t think it would do as well as ‘Worst Behaviour’ because my songs usually consist of loads of layers and harmonies and there’s so much depth. But this one was so quick and I didn’t realise how good it was.
Why do you think people are so obsessed with it?
Kwn: Probably because I’m being so vulgar! I’m not holding back. Everybody’s a bit scared to say things nowadays, everything’s a bit taboo, but I’m not shying away from the bold stuff.
You’re quite introverted outside of your music though…
Kwn: I’m extroverted around the right people. When I write music I’m by myself, so I’m as comfortable as ever and in the safest space I can be, in my bedroom. When you get to know me I open more – I’m all yours basically.
Do you find it therapeutic writing about your love life?
Kwn: If I get heartbroken I can’t write about it the day after, it’ll be six months later, after I’ve lived with it. I find it very hard to write vulnerable music, hence why I write a lot of sexy stuff. Because that’s easier for me to talk about. Talking about emotions in general is a hard thing for me to do. So sometimes it’s therapeutic, but in the moment it’s more like drawing blood from a stone.
The video for ‘Do What I Say’ is filmed in a restaurant. Would dinner be your ideal date?
Kwn: Yeah I love a dinner date. But maybe not for a first date. We shot the video in a restaurant because I used to be a chef, so we wanted to pay homage to that.
What would be your dream first date?
Kwn: Maybe like bingo, that’d be fun! I like fun stuff innit. Dinner’s a bit serious to be honest. Or, you know where I went for my birthday? The Crystal Maze Live Experience, I would love to go there on a date.
What would be your nightmare first date?
Kwn: The cinema. You can’t talk. Or a theme park, can you imagine? [she shouts and pretends to be on a ride] ‘Are you having a good time?!’
Your music and your videos centre relationships between queer women. What are your earliest memories of seeing that representation?
Kwn: I have literally been gay since I came out of the womb, so I’ve never looked for it. I would say I first knew I was gay when I watched Charlie’s Angels. I love that film. I remember being really young and going on my sister’s laptop and seeing an ad for Brokeback Mountain, but other than that, I’ve just always loved women.
Do you ever think about the positive impact that your videos could have on the next generation? You’re providing representation that we didn’t have…
Kwn: I think I’m doing it so unintentionally that it doesn’t feel like I’m doing it. I’m just me. I never say I’m a lesbian or I’m gay, I’m just a girl who likes girls. I don’t like putting labels on things, so it’s been super natural for me, I’m really just being myself. I ain’t the next queer ambassador, you know? It’s not that for me. Just be yourself, if that’s what you wanna do, you go and do that.
I’m just being myself. I ain’t the next queer ambassador, you know?
How did you meet Kehlani?
Kwn: She followed me on Instagram. I went to LA and went to her Crash album release party. That was the first time we met in person, had a little vibe there. Then she came to London, did her release party here, and again had a little vibe. Then I went back to LA to work on her While We Wait 2 mixtape, that was the first time we worked together. I love working with her, she’s quick, she don’t mess about. If she don’t like something she’ll tell you.
The ‘Worst Behaviour’ video with Kehlani has over 13 million views…
Kwn: Woah!
You didn’t know that?
Kwn: No! That’s mad. I woke up on my birthday and started balling my eyes out, crying and crying, because I can’t believe my life. So much has changed. I’m so grateful, that’s what I keep saying to myself. This time last year, when I went to Kehlani’s release party, I’d just hit 10k followers on Instagram. Now I’m close to half a mill.
Whose idea was the kiss?
Kwn: Not Kehlani. Music videos cost so much and Kehlani is not cheap – her team is expensive! So we had to think of a way to make it go wow! So I said, what about if I kiss her? I called her and I was like, ‘Would you be up for kissing me in the video?’ And she was like, ‘Hmm, yeah I’ll do that.’ We knew that was gonna cause a ruckus.
Back in 2022, Dazed had the exclusive to announce your debut single. How have you changed as a person since then?
Kwn: I haven’t. I’m the same old me with a bit more cash in my pocket.
That debut single, ‘wn way or another’, was about a toxic ex. Do your exes ever get mad that you write songs about them?
Kwn: I dunno I haven’t spoken to them. I hope they are. No I’m joking, I hope they’re doing well. I’ve only got two real exes, anyone else can’t try and claim me!
What do you think your biggest vice is?
Kwn: Women.
Kwn’s EP With All Due Respect will be released on June 20.
