Artist: Talia Keys
Song: “Born in the Light”
Genre: Soul, Funk, Rock
In her own words, Talia Keys lost countless “jobs” and fans for coming out of the closet, but that only empowered her to make her voice more powerful. Coming from the conservative state of Utah, Keys has used music as one of her outlets for expressing herself and protesting against the kind of hate and oppression she and others like her have faced. Combining soul, funk and rock n’ roll, Keys released her first solo album in 2015, before fully forming her backing band The Love, who would join her on 2018’s We’re Here. In 2021, she released two new singles, the latest being her counter of all the people who wanted to change who and what she is, “Born in the Light”.
Stax-sounding horns and funky, reggae-ish bass lines marry together to form a mid tempo groove that gives plenty of room for Keys’ elastic vocals to hold court. Lyrically, Keys stands strong against haters (“My heart is still beating love. Sometimes it’s all that I’ve got”), and snaps back at them (“You can’t change who I am, cause I was born in the light”). Closing out with a classic organ solo, the song is retro chic with a modern protest heart.
Hear this sharp new single in our Check This 2022 Playlist!
The Indy Review 