Multi-talented teen songstress and musician Kyla Imani is bringing all of her Black Girl Magic to the forefront with her new visual EP Sweet Tea.
Inspired by Beyonce’s Lemonade, Kyla’s Sweet Tea is the perfect balance of age appropriate music and unique interpretations of the latest dance moves. The visual is narrated by the spirited 14-year-old and features original songs like the teen turn-up anthem “The Weekend” and the infectious “Good Time,” as well as the melodic “Nobody’s Perfect.”
Aiming to encourage young people to enjoy their youth, while also stressing the importance of things like family and education, Kyla tells her story through a series of flashback videos from her childhood and footage from her life today. “This is a story of inspiration, a story of love and life. The love to create and live your dreams,” she says in the visual EP.
She goes on to describe the influence that her love of the arts has had on motivating her to pursue her passion, before emphasizing the importance of young people having hard-working role models their age to look up to. “I think it’s important for young people to have young inspirations, too. I know I’m inspired by people like Zendaya, Amandla Stenberg, Willow & Jaden Smith, Ella Andersen, Quvenzhane Wallis. People like them, who I look at and say, “they’re young and they work hard, so I can make it too.”
Kyla gained Internet notoriety in 2014 with her age-appropriate rendition of Beyoncé’s “7/11” video and continues to build a following on social media with her covers of popular R&B, hip hop and pop hits including Fetty Wap’s “679,” Alicia Keys’ “If I Aint Got You,” and Beyoncé’s “Love Drought.”
Check out Kyla Imani’s visual EP Sweet Tea in full below.
WANT MORE FROM ESSENCE? Subscribe to our daily newsletter for the latest in hair, beauty, style and celebrity news.
