Forever, Ya Girl
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| Forever, Ya Girl | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | March 27, 2020 | |||
| Recorded | 2017–2020 | |||
| Length | 42:19 | |||
| Label | Forever | |||
| Producer |
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| KeiyaA chronology | ||||
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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,[3] through Forever Recordings.[4] It appeared on several year-end lists.[5]
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 the songs "Negus Poem 1 & 2"[5] and "I! Gits! Weary!".[7]
At the 2021 NPR Tiny Desk (Home) Concert, KeiyaA cited Jayne Cortez and Ntozake Shange as sources of inspiration for the album.[8]
Release
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.[9] It was re-released on August 9, 2024, through XL Recordings.[10]
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Pitchfork | 8.2/10[4] |
| Spectrum Culture | 4.5/5[6] |
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."[11]
Accolades
| 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
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 | |