“Frontline” is the second single from Kelela’s debut album, Take Me Apart, released on October 6th, 2017.
“Frontline” is the first stage of Take Me Apart ’s emotional arc. Here Kelela is defiant, leaving behind someone who was holding her back and is unapologetic about it. She highlights that her...
[Verse 1]
There’s a place you hold I left behind, I’m finished
Since you took your time, you should know why I’m quitting
[Pre-Chorus 1]
The secrets I hide, I do nothing
You'll always deny we're going in circles
But I'll override
Could be winter but I burn inside
In the back of my mind, I hear nothing
Keep this feeling alive, I fear nothing now
Then I'm in my ride
Anything I left behind don't mean nothing now
[Chorus]
Couldn't take it back even though you wish I could
If you think I'm going back, you misunderstood
Cry and talk about it, baby, but it ain't no use
See you wasn't lookin' when I pushed
Hold up, wait, you're fucking with my groove
Gettin' on this plane, making moves
Cry and talk about it, baby, but it ain't no use
I ain't gonna sit here with your blues
[Verse 2]
If it ain't your life I don't know how to live it
And it broke me down, I almost drowned
It's not the ending, it's not the ending
[Pre-Chorus 2]
The secrets I hide, I do nothing
You'll always deny that we're going in circles
But I'll override
Could be winter but I burn inside
In the back of my mind, I hear nothing
Keep this feeling alive, I fear nothing now
It's a race against time when you're on the frontline
[Chorus]
Couldn't take it back even though you wish I could
If you think I'm going back, you misunderstood
Cry and talk about it, baby, but it ain't no use
See you wasn't lookin' when I pushed
Hold up, wait, you fucking with my groove
Gettin' on this plane, making moves
Cry and talk about it, baby, but it ain't no use
I ain't gonna sit here with your blues
[Bridge]
I'll tell you what, there's no luck, it's all me
I'm staying up, don't wait up 'cause they're betting on me
Coming up with the Sun around me
Fire me up, now I'm up and I won't be taken down
Little luck, tell you what, it's all me
I'm staying up, don't wait up 'cause they're betting on me
Coming up with the Sun around me
Fire me up, now I'm up and there's no coming down
[Chorus]
Couldn't take it back even though you wish I could
If you think I'm going back, you misunderstood
Cry and talk about it, baby, but it ain't no use
See you wasn't lookin' when I pushed
Hold up, wait, you fucking with my groove
Gettin' on this plane, making moves
Cry and talk about it, baby, but it ain't no use
I ain't gonna sit here with your blues
[Outro]
Why are you testing me?
No, no, no, I'm not the one
Why are you testing me?
No, no, no, I'm not the one
Why are you testing me?
No, no, I'm not the one
Why are you testing me?
No, no, no, no, I couldn't wait for you
I couldn't wait for you
I couldn't wait for you
Frontline was written by Kelela & Jeremiah Jerry & Sam Dew & Will Boston.
Frontline was produced by Jam City.
In an interview with Essence Magazine, Kelela revealed:
[The song is] about exes going their separate ways. I wrote it through a breakup.