itoldLexi - 'Get it Right'
Full of self-assurance and oozing determination and strength, Chicago R&B soul singer itoldLexi releases her brand new single ‘Get it Right’.
Showcasing captivating vocals, silky harmonies and yearning lyrics, itoldLexi’s latest release is her at her most vulnerable but in turn at her strongest too. It comes as she gears up for not one, but two shows over the next few months where she has ‘An Audience With’ at Smithfield in Farringdon and a surefire sellout at the historic Troubadour in Earls Court. This track centres around a breakup and her own difficulties navigating through her heartache and feelings of betrayal, exploring and picking apart the intensities of her emotions and frustrations from her relationship not being ‘right’.
The track opens with distorted and echoey vocals and atmospheric instrumentation. You get the impression that something is about to go down and that Lexi is prepping herself for a serve worthy of a WWE stage. This grand ethereal sound juxtaposes beautifully against understated RnB piano and beats, highlighting Lexi’s ability to bring things down to their fundamentals. From the first lines onwards, the track is evocative and sensual. Lexi muses on her failed relationship with a quiet ferocity, demonstrating her class and moral high ground over and over. Her lyrics are cutting and point to everything that her partner did and more importantly didn’t do to nurture their love but never once do we feel an overwhelming pity for her. She has emerged from this relationship stronger than ever and now has the ability to cuss her man out with a refined elegance and poise.
‘Now I don’t really care for much, especially don’t care for trust. I can’t really give a fuck like when you say you do love me cause the roles have reversed.’
The intensity and the gravity in the first verse turn more inwards as Lexi reflects on how hard she has been hit by her ex’s infidelity and lies. She mourns the relationship she had and the things it could have turned into, her entire vision for her future shattered. Through sexual and sensual imagery she talks about the toll the breakup has taken on her body and her mind, explaining that before she was hypnotised but now sees everything for what it really is. She battles with her sense of betrayal in conflict with her desire to try and make things right again, something she hammers home in the second half of the track.
‘So if I’m being honest yours is lying to my face but even when we broke up I still craved you in my space. If I had know that you moved on I would never would have stayed
There are fleeting moments where Lexi blames herself for the situation, saying she should have known better than to trust him and that she regrets taking him back time and time again. The clarity that she was never to blame is crystal clear though by the end of the track and she truly recognises her worth, wishing her ex luck in finding someone who could contend with her. The track comes to a close with the brilliant choice to have Lexi’s vocals isolated with just the piano line playing alongside her. On first listen, many would point to her vulnerability here but I see it as a show of her strength. Her voice and by extension her heart can stand up on its own, emboldened by all it has endured.
‘Get it Right’ showcases not only her dynamic vocals but also as a means by which she continues to advocate for her other passions-including but by no means limited to civil rights, gender equality and black culture-all pressing issues which she has explored through her academic research and her music. Through her platform, Lexi discusses the intersections between her work as an activist and a musician, highlighting the ways in which the music industry continues to disproportionately inhibit women of colour. Over the last year, she has been featured on National Public Radio for advocating for the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement in her songs and celebrated for collaborating with other young artists around the world in social justice campaigns. Most recently she was a featured panellist for the ‘F-List’ conference in London speaking on black feminism and how it influences her music and artistry. Her ethos to push change shines through her songwriting, illustrating her undying determination and resilience.
With her two big shows in the near future, the only way for itoldLexi is up. She has teased some of her unreleased demos on instagram which begs the question as to when we will be getting more from her. That being said, she is a self-professed astrology girlie and Libra season and her birthday is quickly approaching. Might we get another drop then? We will have to look to the stars to know more.
Words by Kirsty-Ann Thomson
