On ‘ITYK’, keaton’s stunning vocals take centre stage underneath some of 2020s most intricate pop production, mixed by Tim Rowkins (Rina Sawayama). Melding the 80s sensibilities of Lionel Richie with the modern synth-pop that wouldn’t be amiss from the ‘Drive’ soundtrack, keaton’s second single is an instant earworm that shows off the songwriting ability of the East London based visual artist and model.
Speaking on the track keaton explains “I made ‘ITYK’ in my room whilst honestly wanting to be dancing by the tide at sunset. I wanted to create pure warmth with sound, like when sun rays hit the surface of your face. The song addresses miscommunication, and how it can create a huge misjudgement of character. The twists and turns of being in a friendship that isn’t 100% open and honest.”
The video for ‘ITYK’, directed and produced by keaton, is a continuation in ‘the unwelcome series’ and is a clever video that comments on the language and relationship of communication through technology at this time. Inspired by 2000s video games like The Sims 2 – the video was shot and produced over Facetime, capturing perfectly the zeitgeist of online relationships in the current state of lockdown.
Uncompromising & unashamedly true to himself – keaton is the epitome of DIY artistry. Not only recording and producing his own work, he’s also heavily involved in all his videos which act as a companion to his upcoming ‚the unwelcome series‘ visual EP. He makes his directorial debut on the new visual for ‚ITYK‘. Alongside all this – keaton is also a champion for live, independent music, having run his own festival “v_01d” for three years, a ‘mini-Meltdown’ booked entirely by him and his friend Sophie DeMasi. At only 20, and as a POC & queer member of the LGBTQ+ community, keaton’s voice is a refreshing and essential one in the UK’s pop landscape, and ‘ITYK’ places him as one of our most exciting new artists.