KAMILLE is a certified pop legend who's been crafting hits for a decade. With her debut album 'K1', she's on an exhilarating journey of self-discovery, infusing her music with vibrant energy and positivity.
Words: Martyn Young.
In the wonderful world of pop, many people come together to make some magic. Of course, there are the artists, front and centre, putting the work in and riding the wave, but there are also the people behind them. The people who are supremely dedicated and talented and who have devoted their lives to working some pop magic of their own behind the scenes, whether it's in songwriting, production or performance. People just like Kamille.
Kamille is a certified pop legend with a decade of hit-making for all sorts of pop legends from Stormzy, AJ Tracey, Raye and Flo to Dua Lipa and also right now with two songs written with actual Kylie Minogue for her triumphant new album 'Tension' as well as her super strong connection in shaping the Little Mix sound throughout their whole career. In short, Kamille is a songwriting master, but now she's ready to firmly step out on her own and embrace the life of being an artist while fully realising all her creativity in her own vivid ambition.
2023 has been a huge year for Kamille. Not only has she released her debut album 'K1' and dived into her own artistry, but she's also had a baby. A life-changing event that provided some of the inspiration to take this bold leap into a new phase of her career. "From start to finish, this year has been an absolute whirlwind," she begins. "I went into it pregnant, so I knew obviously I was having a baby this year, but I didn't realise how it would shake my whole life up for the better. It's just been the best experience. It puts everything into perspective. It's changed me in a way where I now just don't care as much about things that I used to care about. I'm much more carefree. You become this really determined person."
This determined spirit fuelled Kamille's desire to embark on her own vision. 'K1' is a vibrant, fun and supremely confident collection of pop that takes in all Kamille's influences, from the disco strut of Nile Rodgers featuring 'Muscle Memory' to the sashaying grooves of top bop 'Options' to the closing rapping climax of 'Manifesting-Part 1.'. It's an album that highlights the range and dynamism of her music and the singular approach with which she created it.
"I'm so much more determined about my music," she explains. "It's connected so intrinsically with my album. My baby was the reason I started making this music, as I was stuck at home with morning sickness. I couldn't leave the house, but I had to be creative in some way. I started making these songs that became 'K1'. I self-produced it, did it all on my own. It has become this crazy thing, and to see it doing so well on radio - I had my first Radio 1 playlist with this as an artist in my own right. It's out of this world for me. It's a dream. I've had a lot of support from my peers, so I feel so empowered. This year has been incredible."
It feels like people have been waiting patiently for Kamille to blossom as an artist in her own right, but there was no sense of easy inevitability. Instead, she's had to battle and resolve to do things her own way and just make it happen.
"When I first got into the industry, I always wanted to be an artist, but it just wasn't the right time back then," she says. "Now, it feels so natural. This time last year, I was making this album, and I decided next year I was putting this album out. I don't care how or under what label or under what situation or whatever happens, even if it's me on my own paying for it, I'm going to put this music out. It ended up that I decided to go independent. No one was going to stop me. It's been so long since I've had a body of music out. I know that people needed that from me. I wanted to do it not only for them but for myself. It had to be this year. There was no other option."
The theme of making it happen carries on through the album's centrepiece 'Manifesting - Part 1' and her latest single 'Manifesting - Part 2', this time featuring Kojey Radical. "Manifesting is literally the backbone of this album because it's lyrically the theme of my whole vibe at the moment," she smiles. "I manifested this whole year. I remember last year sitting to myself thinking, I want to have a healthy baby, put out a successful album, and I want to be on the radio and do shows, and all these things are happening. Whether you're someone that's into faith or not, just speaking positivity into your life is so important, and that's manifesting in a nutshell."
The closing track on the album finds Kamille expressing her voice in a different way as she raps on the track for the first time. "That practice of being a chameleon with my vocal lends itself to my music where I wanted a rapper on a few songs, and I remember thinking that I don't know how long it's going to take to get a rapper on this song, but I want to put my album out so I thought, I'm just going to rap then," she laughs. "I'm just trying things out, experimenting and having fun. I'm just really impatient and really creative."
On the new single, though, she did find a rapper and Kojey Radical shines on 'Manifesting Part 2'. "I love the way he connects with people through his lyrics and thought he'd be the perfect fit," she enthuses. "He was totally up for it, and the next thing was we were in Abbey Road, and he came down and wrote the rap in 5 seconds inside the booth. I've got a video of him rapping it just off the cuff, and I was like, naah this is incredible. We were really enjoying that creative process together in the studio. I was so honoured that he's on the track because I'm a huge fan. It's a perfect fit, and 'Manifesting Part 2' has gone to another level now."
Now that she's learning who she is as an artist in her own right, Kamille is firmly in the groove, and she's very much in a hurry. "Oh my gosh, there's going to be so many more of these albums coming," she says excitedly. "I'm already starting to think about 'K2'. I've got so many songs for that. I'm going to keep on putting out loads of chapters of music consistently because it's important for people to understand who I am and learn that through the music, that's the only way you're going to get to know me. I'm going to do K1-K2 all the way to K100. I'm ready to go on tour. I just want to be an artist. I want to grab onto it with all that I can and do everything an artist can do."
Living in the moment and realising her dreams, this is a special time for Kamille after years spent honing her craft and shaping the sound of pop in the background. With the spotlight on her heading into 2024, she's revelling in freedom and positivity on her own terms. 'K2' is going to feel like a progression.
"I feel like I've finally got something that I love and the audience loves," she says. "I don't want to mess it up, and I don't want to ruin anything or throw away what people are liking. As much as I know I want to be creative and do lots of different things, I also think I want it to be a really smooth progression but still bring in something fresh. I'm figuring that out at the moment. I'm going to come with something fresh. Next year is going to be me stepping out into my artist's destiny and just performing. I want to see people, and I want to reach people." ■
