Having grown up in Utah with her adoptive family, Kaye struggled with the difficulties that being a black girl in a mostly white community faced. Raised in the Mormon church, she made the decision to leave once she reached early adulthood, moving to the West Coast to pursue her passion. Now, with a plethora of life experiences under her belt, Kaye wants to tell her story.
Following the successful release of her debut single «Fools Gold», which was added to numerous Spotify editorial playlists, including New Music Friday U.S., Kaye unveils the intoxicating «You Know Who You Are and I Hate You». An honest song narrating her lifelong struggles with severe anxiety, the songwriter gets vulnerable. She explains, «although it could be about a romantic relationship as well, I’m personally talking to my anxiety about the ways it has debilitated my life at times». The song is a reminder that it’s perfectly ok to have days when you’re down, we’re all human and we’re allowed to be soft, feel delicate or just not ok! Kaye confides, «I’ve had a lot of people try to tell me that my anxiety and how much I feel is a weakness. It’s taken a lot of self work for me to realise that there’s a strength in allowing yourself to simply be as weak as you feel in a moment. Black women in particular are always looked at as ‘strong black women’ and while yes, that is true, there are many sides to us».
Her release «Smile More» «speaks to the double standard of how men and women have been allowed to express themselves in society. It’s a weird, ridiculous expectation people place on women, to look pleasant 100% of the time». confides Kaye. Featuring colourful warm beats and Kaye’s signature soulful vocals, «Smile» radiates with confidence.
Her upcoming single «Sunshine & Rainbows» is about the frustrations that can come with toxic positivity. Tessa confides, «so many times I’ve found myself in situations where I was trying to mask my authenticity to not come off as ‘negative’. I’ve swallowed my own hurt in order to keep a happy, positive disposition for others, but that shit’s dead now! Life isn’t always sunshine & rainbows…and I’d say that’s kinda the whole point. Balance baby. Contrast. Bad times just make the good ones feel that much better». «Sunshine & Rainbows» featuring sparkling vibrant synths, tropical dipped beats and an attention grabbing chorus.
Having garnered close to 200,000 streams on Spotify alone, Tessa Kaye is quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with.