Kenya Vaun sees her art as a vehicle for connecting with others. The Philadelphia-born artist prioritizes feeling over everything. She’s driven by her desire to make music that strikes a chord, whether it’s through her storytelling lyrics or soul-stirring production choices.
“I really want that connection through the people to come back. I feel like it’s lacking,” Vaun tells Rated R&B over a video call. “We are social beings. We need each other. We uplift each other. We’re stronger together in numbers.”
There’s something about bringing people together that invigorates Vaun’s soul. It’s no wonder why the essence of community transcends through her visuals. Vaun’s video for “Used To,” the Billy Stewart-sampled track from her debut EP, The Honeymoon Phase, shows life happening around her, much like Jill Scott’s “A Long Walk” and Amerie’s “Why Don’t We Fall In Love.”
Filmed in Brooklyn, the video features Vaun strolling through a neighborhood as people go about their daily lives. We see Black women at the hair salon, friends playing basketball on a court, a couple holding hands and enjoying each other’s company, and so forth. It may seem simple on the surface, but that’s the beauty of it.
“I feel like a lot of people, when you hear [the song], think it’s just about love. Even though it’s typically taken in that way, I want it to highlight things we aren’t used to seeing anymore,” Vaun says about the video. “It gives me a nostalgia. I think about my childhood, always being outside [and] playing with people on the block. A lot of people are so glued to their phones that it’s kind of like you don’t see that. You don’t see people just laughing and chatting it up. I wanted to highlight that with a few love scenes, of course.”
The duality plays throughout The Honeymoon Phase, out now on 300 Entertainment. The 13-track project balances the thrills (and even the spills) of newfound love with reflections on life, exploring themes of nostalgia (“Yesterday”), self-empowerment (“I’m That”) and resilience (“Summer”). “I wanted to talk about the phases of love with oneself and with other people,” Vaun notes. “I [also] wanted to bring a few songs that give that uplifting feeling to oneself because I feel like that’s where it starts — loving yourself or feeling good about yourself before you can really go through those experiences.”
The Honeymoon Phase includes production by Carvin & Ivan (Jill Scott, Musiq Soulchild), Ronald “Flip” Colson (Usher, H.E.R.), Deputy (Rihanna, Victoria Monét) and more. Fellow Philly native Soulchild appears on the remix of “Summer,” while Fridayy contributes backing vocals on “Pick Up The Pieces.”
In Rated R&B’s interview with Kenya Vaun, she discusses her musical upbringing, her musical influences, the meaning behind songs from The Honeymoon Phase and more.
How would you describe your musical upbringing?
I grew up in a musical home. I have a lot of siblings. I’m the youngest. I have a twin, and he was the singer in the house. It was like five of us all together — well, six, but five of us that were really into music. We had a group called The K-Five. We used to be like The Jackson Five. We [would] perform at like family events [and] cookouts. And, of course, my mom’s music taste. Growing up, when she was cooking or cleaning, the music that she played. It was a lot of inspiration throughout my childhood, just surrounded by music in general.
You previously shared that you started songwriting before singing. What moved you to pick up the pen?
Growing up in a big family [and] everybody being so talented — my older siblings — I felt like it was a lot of situations where I was fighting to have my own voice. Watching great performers like Lauryn [Hill], Mary J. Blige and Erykah Badu on YouTube. It was very inspirational not only hearing the storyline but seeing that they felt it. I felt the only way you could do that is if you’re telling your own story. I had this roaring feeling of wanting to tell my own story. That’s where it all began, just being that younger sibling and wanting to be like, “I’m gonna be heard too.”
Do you remember the first song you ever wrote?
Yes, I remember it word for word. In my mind, at the time, it was very deep. I remember the day vividly; it was raining. I [was] looking out the screen door just writing. “Let the Water Flow.” That was what it was called. I’ve come a long way. Let’s just say that (laughs).
Are there any songwriters you are influenced or inspired by?
Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu, Usher — he has a lot of songs that were a huge part of my childhood overall, Alicia Keys, too. It’s a lot of people that I could say [have influenced] my songwriting or who I aspire to be like lyrically. Ne-Yo is a huge songwriter too. I can’t leave him out. He’s one of those ones that I’m like, “Dang, he wrote that too?”
Your debut EP, The Honeymoon Phase, is finally out. What does this project represent for you?
Basically, I wanted to talk about the phases of love with oneself and, of course, with other people. The ups and downs. The whole entire rollercoaster and experience with that when it comes to the honeymoon phase. I wanted to, in a few songs, highlight oneself. I wanted to bring a few songs that give that uplifting feeling to oneself. Because I feel like that’s where it starts — loving yourself or feeling good about yourself before you can really go through those experiences. In some of my songs, it doesn’t really seem like I started with loving myself. So you can hear the ups and downs I go through with the people and how I thought. I feel like it tells an entire story once you piece it together.
You open the EP with “Yesterday,” which hears you reminiscing about your good old days. What inspired that song?
“Yesterday” basically talks about my experiences when I was younger because that’s a huge part of what made me who I am so far today. When you hear the record, it talks about those many experiences: the love of the neighborhood, family… it just all feels like yesterday. We need it back because that’s it was a really big highlight in childhood. Seeing how times are today, it’s kind of like, “Dang. Imagine if I grew up during this time. I don’t know how I would be like, for real” (laughs).
The first time I heard “Summer,” I was instantly hooked. It just felt good. What was your intention behind that song?
Basically to give people that feeling of hope. There’s going to be another sunny day, and you could just take that metaphorically wherever you want to go. If you’re having a dark day mentally, it’ll be another bright and sunny day one of these days. It doesn’t matter what season, it’s a song to make you feel good in general.
Musiq Soulchild is featured on the “Summer (Remix).” How does it feel to be able to collaborate with such a legendary artist early on in your career, especially someone from your hometown?
My mom had one of those old iPods, the one with the circular touchpad and the small screen. She had all of the Mary J. [Blige] hits, Destiny’s Child, and of course, Musiq Soulchild. I would listen to music all day… but the one song I always ended up going to sleep to was always “Teach Me” by Musiq Soulchild, so having him on my song today and looking back to when I was that young listening to those songs with just a dream means the world to me. It makes me feel like I’m doing something right.
The visual for “Used To” reminds me of videos like Jill Scott’s “A Long Walk” and Amerie’s “Why Don’t We Fall In Love,” where we see you strolling through a neighborhood as life happens around you. What message did you want to send visually?
I feel like a lot of people, when you hear [the song], think it’s just talking about love. Even though it’s typically taken in that way, I want it to highlight things that we aren’t used to seeing anymore. It gives me a nostalgia. I think about my childhood, always being outside [and] playing with people on the block. A lot of people are so glued to their phones that it’s kind of like you don’t see that. You don’t see people just laughing and chatting it up. I really wanted to highlight that with a few love scenes, of course.
What is the inspiration behind “My People”?
“My People” was a fun one. As soon as it comes on, it makes you feel good. I think back to the times when you like someone and you [are] contemplating if they like you back. It starts there as, “Is this for me?” You kind of want to introduce them to your people and show them around. But you also know how your people are, like, is that the right person? It’s just that fun storyline of “I hope this goes well” in the beginning stages of everything.
“I’m That” explores your more confident side. How important was it for you to add that sort of song to the project?
That’s one of my favorites, I’m not even gonna lie. “I’m That” is one of the songs that I talk about that’s for self. If you’re going through that experience of feeling down or low self-esteem, it’s a reminder of all the accomplishments that you have acquired in your life and reminding yourself that you’re that girl, you’re that guy, or whoever you feel you are, you are that. And don’t forget it. It’s one of those feel-good, self-love songs.
With The Honeymoon Phase being your first project, what do you hope listeners will take away from it?
I just hope people take away the feeling of good music again. With a few of the songs that I’ve placed on the EP, I wanted to give that classic feel. I wanted to give the feeling of love and uplift that weight that may be on people’s shoulders. I want to get them to go through the storyline of how love can be and basically get to this point [where] it starts with yourself. [Also], realizing certain things with friendships, significant others or whatever, that you may be missing out on because you’re so wrapped up in this materialistic world or what you think people want. The main story is all about me unraveling what I want for myself and going through these different phases.
Stream Kenya Vaun’s EP The Honeymoon Phase below.