From testament to throwback: lordkez unpacks the stories behind 'You, Me, and the 90s'

Previewing the lead single off her latest EP, You, Me, and the 90s, lordkez shares the story behind the creation of Aweh.

“Aweh is like the first date. The sounds and basslines in Aweh, within the first 30 seconds, take you back. We did that very intentionally because Aweh also means ‘hello’ or ‘what’s up’. That was the reasoning behind that placement.

"I was inspired by previous first-date experiences, not that I’ve had many, only about three or four in total. It’s very exciting for both the male and female sides. So I thought, since we’re doing the 90s theme, why not talk about that 90s love?

"The boy picking you up from your mum’s house, you getting dressed up cutely, and Michael Jackson playing in the background - all of which set the tone for the night you’re going to have. Aweh is a welcome into this new world I created through this project,” she recalls, as we begin to unpack the rest of her 90s-inspired project.

Trap Phone follows Aweh and can only be described as a song rooted in yearning. “Honestly, I think this is the best song I’ve ever made, only because the way I envisioned it in my brain is exactly how it came out.

"Trap Phone is a yearning song. Back in the 90s, you’d wait for your crush to call your phone. Most of the time, you’d wait until 6om just to receive a call on a landline.

"The song’s content speaks to a love/hate relationship. I want you to call me, but also, if you don’t call me, I’m going to do what I want. The song opens with, ‘When you decide to call, I don’t hesitate to answer.’ After the first date, you’re a little bit in love.”

Written in Paris, Love City was inspired by the City of Love.

“Love City came about in such a beautiful way. I was touring with Mi Casa last year in Paris. We had one night in Paris, and all I wanted to do was be on the phone with this boy! I tried calling, but he wasn’t answering - he was out. I was like, damn, this is crazy - I’m in the City of Love and feeling so unloved.

"That’s why I called it Love City. The song is about being vulnerable and wearing your heart on your sleeve.”

The next song comes as a pit stop in the journey of love that the project has taken us on so far.

"One Way Ticket is a pit stop within the project. It’s about being with someone and ending up going nowhere. The catchiest part of the song is, ‘One-way ticket to nowhere.’

"It’s about knowing that something isn’t going to work out, but still choosing it because you see the potential in it. This is a very happy breakup song. It’s also the part of the project where the honeymoon phase is over - now the relationship is getting real.

"It’s also a bit more R&B-pop compared to the rest of the project. I wanted to try something more R&B-pop but still within my capabilities.”

Boogie, compared to One Way Ticket, is a totally opposite world that lordkez created.

“Well, this is the phase where you decide you don’t want to be held down—you just want to get up and boogie (dance). That’s why this song is also the most fun. I always wanted to make a song like Boogie Nights.

"After hearing the instrumental, I literally locked myself in the studio for a night - that’s how the song came about. I haven’t really made a song people can dance to. Many of the songs on this project are firsts for me, but at the same time, I’ve felt so comfortable because it’s the type of music I grew up listening to.

"This one has a very Liberian Girl vibe to it. I was obsessed with Michael Jackson as a young girl. This song is also about letting your hair down and realising it’s okay - just dance it out.”

The second-last song on the project captures the overall mood that she wanted to create.

“There’s also a very unexpected thing that happens within the song. I felt it was a really good attention-grabber because the song is like a ballad. The essence of this song captures what love feels like - it’s exciting, it’s new, it’s juicy and colourful.

"I also saved this song for last when I was writing because of how much I loved the sound. The background vocals, the strings, and the chords really give you that nostalgic feeling I wanted to capture. It’s a love song, right? But it’s also not!

!I didn’t want people to think this project would just be filled with love songs. No, there’s only one true love song here. But despite that, all of these songs are very happy and sound like love.

"That’s what I wanted to create - to show every side of love. You, Me and the 90s is a bit of a flex song. When you hear it, you’ll understand what I mean.”

Settle Down – the final song – comes as a cliffhanger.

"This song is actually the cliffhanger. With all these different types of love, self-love is a big one for me. You must love yourself first before you can love someone else.

"This song is actually about boundaries - it’s about knowing who you are and understanding what you’re okay with and what you won’t tolerate. It’s also a collection of different experiences from my life. I feel like you learn so much about yourself by loving other people, and that’s exactly what this song is about.

"It made the project at the very last minute. I told my team, ‘Guys, hold up, the project is not done.’ Honestly, as much as this project is about love, it’s a big step for me in my personal development- making music that I was inspired by and music that feels like home.

"This project is me acknowledging who I am and who I’ve grown to become. Settle Down is also about a different kind of liberation. A lot of these songs speak to different forms of liberation. I decided I’m wearing my natural hair, being as authentic as possible, and talking my sh*t.

"This project is vulnerability, excitement, and comfort. There’s a lot of comfort in vulnerability. I’ve learned so much about myself, and I hope anyone who listens to the project experiences the same.”

With Me, You and the 90s, lordkez doesn’t just revisit a golden era of music - she reimagines it through her own lens, blending nostalgic sounds with deeply personal storytelling.