Forever, Ya Girl

Forever, Ya Girl
Studio album by
KeiyaA
ReleasedMarch 27, 2020 (2020-03-27)
Recorded2017–2020
Length42:19
LabelForever
Producer
KeiyaA chronology
Work
(2015) 		Forever, Ya Girl
(2020)

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, through Forever Recordings.[3][4] It appeared on several year-end lists.[5]

Background

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 "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

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Pitchfork8.2/10[4]
Spectrum Culture4.5/5[11]

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."[12]

Accolades

Year-end lists for Forever, Ya Girl
Publication List Rank Ref.
Clash Clash Albums of the Year 2020
39
[13]
Complex The Best Albums of 2020
50
[14]
Crack The Top 50 Albums of 2020
43
[15]
Esquire The 50 Best Albums of 2020
15
[16]
The Fader The 50 Best Albums of 2020
37
[17]
The Guardian The 50 Best Albums of 2020
32
[18]
Okayplayer Okayplayer's Best Albums of 2020
7
[19]
Paste The 50 Best Albums of 2020
44
[20]
Pitchfork The 50 Best Albums of 2020
22
[21]
Vice The 100 Best Albums of 2020
26
[22]

Track listing

All tracks are written by KeiyaA.

Forever, Ya Girl track listing
No.TitleLength
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

Personnel

Credits adapted from liner notes.[23]

  • KeiyaA – vocals, production
  • DJ Blackpower – additional production (3, 12, 14, 16)
  • DJ Cowriiie – additional production (15)
  • Bstfrnd – mixing, mastering
  • Jefferson Harris – cover design, artwork
  • Rahim Fortune – photography

References

  1. ^ Kent-Smith, Jasmine (March 26, 2021). "KeiyaA to release debut album Forever, Ya Girl on vinyl". Crack. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
  2. ^ Morris, Kadish (November 15, 2021). "R&B singer KeiyaA: 'I felt like I was broken and needed to be fixed'". The Guardian. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
  3. ^ Pierre, Alphonse (March 27, 2020). "Our 10 Favorite Things in Rap This Week". Pitchfork. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
  4. ^ a b c Lobenfeld, Claire (April 22, 2020). "KeiyaA: Forever, Ya Girl". Pitchfork. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
  5. ^ a b c d e f Xie, Teresa (February 10, 2021). "KeiyaA levels up even with live music shut down". Chicago Reader. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
  6. ^ Heinzl, Jeff (May 10, 2020). "KeiyaA: Forever, Ya Girl". Spectrum Culture. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
  7. ^ Gaillot, Ann-Derrick (January 26, 2021). "KeiyaA: The artist is here for her things". Crack. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
  8. ^ Mowatt, Robyn (February 11, 2021). "KeiyaA Unleashes Enchanting NPR Tiny Desk (Home) Concert". Okayplayer. Retrieved May 28, 2025.
  9. ^ Bloom, Madison (March 25, 2021). "KeiyaA Announces Vinyl Pressing of Forever, Ya Girl". Pitchfork. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
  10. ^ "Forever Ya Girl - KeiyaA | Release Info". AllMusic. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
  11. ^ Heinzl, Jeff (May 10, 2020). "KeiyaA: Forever, Ya Girl". Spectrum Culture. Archived from the original on May 15, 2020. Retrieved May 28, 2025.
  12. ^ Sacher, Andrew (July 21, 2020). "5 great albums from 2020 you may have missed". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
  13. ^ "Clash Albums Of The Year 2020". Clash. December 14, 2020. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
  14. ^ "The Best Albums of 2020". Complex. December 1, 2020. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
  15. ^ "The Top 50 Albums of 2020". Crack. December 3, 2020. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
  16. ^ "The 50 Best Albums of 2020". Esquire. December 11, 2020. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
  17. ^ "The 50 best albums of 2020". The Fader. December 15, 2020. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
  18. ^ "The 50 best albums of 2020: the full list". The Guardian. December 1, 2020. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
  19. ^ "Okayplayer's Best Albums of 2020". Okayplayer. December 23, 2020. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
  20. ^ "The 50 Best Albums of 2020". Paste. November 30, 2020. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
  21. ^ "The 50 Best Albums of 2020". Pitchfork. December 8, 2020. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
  22. ^ "The 100 Best Albums of 2020". Vice. December 8, 2020. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
  23. ^ KeiyaA (2020). Forever, Ya Girl (CD booklet). Quik Language.
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