dress. ALÉMAS
There is an underrated art to crafting the perfect pop song. It takes an elusive spark of connection to transform a fleeting hit into a showstopper that stops audiences in their tracks. British experimental pop singer Absolutely hit the magical sweet spot with her latest single ‘I Just Don’t Know You Yet.’ After a live performance of the ballad went viral on TikTok, fans demanded it be her next single. Now, she’s releasing the music video for what is just a taste of Absolutely’s captivating catalogue.
“I thought we were going to build up to that single but I guess God had other plans. People just gravitated to that song so much. I did not expect it,” she tells Schön! over Zoom. Absolutely’s poetic songwriting and mesmerising vocals struck a chord, with the hopeful song feeling like an epic call to prayer. “The story is so pure, relatable and honest and it’s got a very classic feeling. A lot of people have said they felt really healed by the song which is beautiful,” she says. “When I was singing the song at All Points East I could see people crying in the audience. I guess it’s been as healing for them as it was for me when I was making it. So many people have been in toxic relationships and been in rough situations, which I have been at the time when I was making the song, but this song was my hope.”
full look. By Cookie H
Sat cosy under a clear blue LA sky, Absolutely the rising star becomes Abby Keen, the sweet mystery behind the magnetic sound. At just 21, the South Londoner has put in time to develop such an eclectic and innovative style of pop, toying with tones of rock, r&b, jazz and alternative. By the time she was 17, she was already writing for global stars like Anitta, Normani and David Guetta.”I’m not going to tell you the name or anything because I don’t want anyone to find it, I released music at 14,” she laughs.”I signed my publishing deal when I was 17 just after I finished school, and that was during COVID times, so I was doing so many Zoom sessions with people out here in LA. That was where it began for me songwriting wise.”
Her gentle and mellow star power was nurtured by a musical family home where her dad would teach Absolutely and her sisters to sing, write and record. “We had a recording set up in the house and we would go in with him and record covers. First my sister was doing that, I think I was a bit shy to ask him to do that too. But then I did and I think my first cover was ‘True Colours’ by Cyndi Lauper,” she smiles.
Absolutely caught the music bug and spent her early teens finding her voice in the studio. “I kicked my dad out the studio and started making beats with Splice and writing little songs. I would come home from school everyday and I would be in there till 1am everyday without fail making random songs,” she recalls. “Then I’d call my dad in to listen and he’d be like, ‘what!? I didn’t know you had anything to say. Where did these words come from?”
left.
full look. mayat
right.
dress. Maximillian Raynor
corset. Rafael Azevedo
Although the language of song comes so naturally to her, she says she finds herself plagued by perfectionism at times. Trying to choose presence over pressure, “letting go of control and enjoying the journey” are just some of the themes she explores on her unreleased second album. “All of us sometimes are so focused on the final outcome and we forget to enjoy the process of getting there,” she admits. “A lot of it is embracing my inner child, having fun and reigniting that childlike wonder that I used to have.”
On the outside, Absolutely effortlessly embodies youthful playfulness, perhaps most expressed in a signature style of oversized buttons, whimsical prints and retro silhouettes. “I’m always wearing colour, I love buttons, I love fantasy, Tim Burton, [and an] Alice in Wonderland kind of storybook world,” she says, revealing that she designs much of her wardrobe for tour and events.
Next year, she’ll be heading on tour with her sisters Raye and Amma who are exciting talents in their own right. On stage, Absolutely is just as pitch perfect as she is in the studio. She possesses a rare cocktail of ethereal magnetism and relatability that have all the makings of a generational talent. For now, with her second album finished, Absolutely is taking a moment “to find more inspiration for the next one.”
top. Lay.al sleeves + skirt. Agro Studio
Absolutely‘s latest single ‘I Just Don’t Know You Yet’ is out now.
This Schön! online exclusive has been produced by
photographer. Ashley Verse
fashion. Jermaine Robinson
talent. Absolutely
makeup. Sophia Sinot
hair. Jaz Lanyero
movement director. Demi Rox
photography assistants. Adam Weir + Josie Ryder
fashion assistants. Soore Adeniyi, Hallie Kate Garton + Nicole Rose
production. Clara La Rosa
words. Shama Nasinde
