Kiki (album)
Kiki is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Kiana Ledé. It was released on April 3, 2020, by The Heavy Group and Republic Records. Ledé announced the album on February 28, 2020, in a preview trailer on her social media. The album follows a string of several extended plays, which include "Soulfood Sessions", "Christmas by Ledé", "Selfless", and "Myself", as well as the release of her breakout single "Ex", which became her first entry on the Billboard charts. Background and recording. The album's release coincided with Ledé's 23rd birthday. It was recorded at a  writers camp in Malibu, in which Ledé had no agenda or time constraints for her to make music she wanted to make, with no expectations, also wanting to showcase her struggles, and vulnerability. She recruited producers and writers to help put together a complete body of work, in which she says “I’m ready to just get my point across with as many words as I can use, and I can use a lot.” 30 songs were recorded for the album, in which 17 made the final tracklist. She co-wrote every track, while production was mostly handled by Rice  N’ Peas. Musically, the album is R&B and soul, incorporating acoustic guitar and trap beats. Lyrical topics include love, heartbreak, and confidence. Compared to her earlier projects, the album contains more features, including R&B stars 6lack, Ari Lennox and more. "Cancelled" opens up the record, written for a friend of Ledé, whom was in a toxic relationship. "Movin" and the lead single "Mad at Me" are self-empowerment anthems. "Chocolate" is a neo-soul song about a perfect lover being a sweet escape. "Forfeit" describes an arguing couple, while "Second Chances" follows right after, signifying the end of a relationship . "Crazy", "Plenty More", and "Skiterlude" speak of revenge and apathy thereafter. The "Juicy Fruit" inspired "Labels" is about bragging on what an ex-lover is missing, with the chorus "Now who the fuck gon keep it juicy for ya?", included with rap verses from up-and-coming Moneybagg Yo and Bia. "Honest" is a bass heavy song about wanting sexual satisfaction from your partner. "Protection" is about feeling secure in one’s relationship, while reflecting on life and the trauma that comes with it. The album cover was shot in front of Ledé's childhood home in Phoenix, Arizona. There  are also 3 official music videos for “Mad at Me”, “Chocolate” and “Crazy”. The deluxe edition was released on October 23, 2020, including 6 new tracks, and a remix of “Chocolate”. It was promoted with the single “Only Fan” with Jacquees. Promotion. "Kiki" was promoted through several live performances. Ledé performed "Mad at Me" at KYS Women's Day for the first time, right before the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown. She also performed a majority of the tracks on Instagram live, and did performances and interviews for "Billboard", MTV, and Amazon Music, among others, in quarantine style. Commercial performance. "Kiki  debuted at number 30 on the Billboard" 200, while also peaking at number seven on the Top R&B Albums chart, making it her first project to chart. Reviews were generally positive, complimenting Ledé's vocal performance and songwriting.