Artist: Kato
Title: Say My Name
Genre(s): Electropop
Length: 3:11
Writers: K.Comyns, C.Hudson
Producer: MakeAScene
Label: Tric Jam
From The Album: N/A
Say My Name is a song by Welsh singer-songwriter Katriel Comyns, best known as Kato. It was released as a free download on August 19th, 2021. The song was posted on Kato's official SoundCloud account, alongside a free download link on his official website. "Say My Name" was originally pencilled as the lead single for Kato's aborted third studio album in 2017. A new collection of songs was set to follow up Comyns' highly successful sophomore album, 2015's "For The Record", however, Kato decided to indefinitely shelf the 2017 project and quietly retired from the music industry for almost four years, choosing to take a step back from the public eye and focus on raising his twins. Following Comyns' lauded comeback to music in 2021, many fans began speculating over whether material recorded for the old sessions would surface as many knew the songs were fully fleshed-out and mixed tracks as opposed to mere demos. Without a prior announcement, Kato quietly released "Say My Name" alongside a statement on Twitter. Being a free download and not on streaming platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon Music, "Say My Name" will not be sent to radio and will be ineligible to chart, not counting as an official single in Kato's discography.
Comyns wrote the track himself alongside Christopher Hudson, who the singer would later work with again on his acclaimed comeback EP, "A Rush of Blood". Production was handled by UK Dance duo MakeAScene. "Say My Name" is about a partner who becomes closed off in the relationship for seemingly unknown reasons. Despite Kato's best efforts, his significant other isn't willing to open up, claiming things are "fine" while still maintaining an icy exterior and aura. The hook of the song revolves around how his partner no longer says his name with inflictions of love and affection but rather devoid of emotion instead. "Say My Name" is an electropop song with slight elements of tropical pop, containing a "light" and "stripped down" soundscape with only small smatterings of electronic production interspersed the "soft" and "modest" melody.
Kato wrote:"While I wasn't in the best headspace back in 2017, hence the scrapping of my then-third album and basically retreating to under a rock for half a decade, I was still proud of SOME of the music I recorded back then. As the process went on, however, I lost heart. The people around me were no longer the folk who signed me, believed in me, championed me as an artist. Over time, things changed at the label. Things also altered in my life. You can tell from the sonics on this track that the powers that be wanted something different. While it was fun toying with more poppy sounds for a bit, I grew tired of it months into the process. Not only was I creatively drained but really in EVERY sense too! Being a first-time father to newborn twins? Not easy. I was sleeping less and being pushed more. That's not how you create great work. Eventually, I had to step away and the 2017 album was binned. Many have since asked about the record and, honestly, I am still rather apprehensive about sharing stuff from this time period as I feel it's not my best work as an artist. That dye job also did a number on my hair. However, I love you all dearly and I think that after the support you have shown my "rebirth" project, 'A Rush of Blood', it's only fair to show you how the road to that EP began. Let's start filling in the blanks of where this Welsh boy has been over the last four years! Here's 'Say My Name', the song that was originally planned to be the first single from that ill-fated album."
"SAY MY NAME"Awkward silences have started to linger
Pursed lips pressed up against a finger
I was once contorted all around it
Now those cold hands are firmly in your pocket
Try to break through but all attempts ricochet
Ice wavering over to yet another day
I never heard any four minute warning
Wasn't prepared for these bitter cold mornings
Think I'm living out my biggest fear;
I'm all in this but your heart's not here
You say you're fine and shrug off my questions
If it's so placid then why the tension?
Hidden details in the few words you spoke?
Is the truth big enough to make you choke?
Take a deep breath and let it all go
Going out of my tiny mind, I just wanna know
I wrap around and you get tongue-tied
Can't tell what's ticking on your mind
The space between just widens more and more
Oh, forgive me if I'm crossing a line
So sorry for wanting a clear-cut sign
But you don't say my name the way you did before
You don't say my name the way you did before
Say my name, say my name, say my name
Say my name, say my name, say my name, uh-uh
Say my name, say my name, say my name
Say my name, say my name, say my name, uh-uhGuess I should have made better mistakes
Caught in a myriad of different tones of grey
Trying to iron out this glitch in the system
But it's a lot harder when you keep your distance
I'm all hands on deck, you can come to me
Before you kill the track and stop the beat
Hidden details in the few words you spoke?
Is the truth big enough to make you choke?
Take a deep breath and let it all go
Going out of my tiny mind, I just wanna know
I wrap around and you get tongue-tied
Can't tell what's ticking on your mind
The space between just widens more and more
Oh, forgive me if I'm crossing a line
So sorry for wanting a clear-cut sign
But you don't say my name the way you did before
You don't say my name the way you did beforeI can't see the future but I bet it ain't pretty
And I know it'll be a whole lot worse if you ain't with me
There's no back and forth, I can't figure it out
Wish you'd just say something even if it's a total knockout
I wrap around and you get tongue-tied
Can't tell what's ticking on your mind
The space between just widens more and more
Oh, forgive me if I'm crossing a line
So sorry for wanting a clear-cut sign
But you don't say my name the way you did before
You don't say my name the way you did beforeI wrap around and you get tongue-tied
Can't tell what's ticking on your mind
The space between just widens more and more
Oh, forgive me if I'm crossing a line
So sorry for wanting a clear-cut sign
But you don't say my name the way you did before
You don't say my name the way you did beforeSay my name, say my name, say my name
Say my name, say my name, say my name, uh-uh
Say my name, say my name, say my name
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