Title: “Signpost”
Artist(s): Kara Romero
From: TBA (2022)
Release Date: June 11, 2022
Format: Digital Download, Streaming, Airplay, 12” Single, CD Single
Recorded: Basement Studios, Brooklyn, New York, USA
Genre(s): RnB, Rap
Length: 4:26
Label: Just Record / Dahlhouse Entertainment
Writer(s): Kara Romero, Brayton Carter
Producer(s): Kara Romero, Brayton Carter, Jadyn Ghalen, Jamal Ghalen
“Signpost” is a song from the Spanish-American musician/rapper ‘Kara Romero’. It marks the first release from the artist since 2020’s protest song “Are We One?” which also featured guest spots from both Jay-C and Stephanie Fierce. Released during the early stages of the global pandemic and written as a response to the George Floyd murder it garnered a lot of attention on it’s release with all proceeds from the track going to the ‘Black Lives Matter’ foundation. In the aftermath of that single, it was confirmed that Kara was working on her sophomore album, but much like the majority of her career it has been full of false starts and delays that have disrupted any momentum she has ever seemingly garnered. She did release an E.P in 2020 however, and she even picked up an award at the FCA VII awards for ‘Best Female Artist’ although this being in 2020 there was a substantial lack of productivity within the industry, she was considered one of the most active of that period despite only releasing two singles and an E.P.
During this two year period between releases, she has continued to work on her music. Writing and recording the majority of what will become her sophomore album which is tentatively pencilled in for release before the end of 2022. Early information indicates that it will be a highly emotional and personal record from Kara Romero and it will have a couple of recognizable producers working alongside her on those tracks as well as a couple of collaborations which are due to be revealed in the coming weeks if rumours are to believed. It’s thought that Kara Romero is set to go all out in the build-up to this albums release in comparison to the lower-key releases throughout her career as she tends to prefer to live her life a little outside of the spotlight. It’s a strong possibility that this could be the first release in a rapid influx of releases throughout the summer from the artist as she looks to build some of that lost momentum from the previous two years. This stemming from a meeting with her record label and management where it’s thought that she put her frustrations out on the table and implored the label to go all in on this record, claiming that it would help them make their investment from 2016 finally worthwhile all these years later. Acknowledging herself that the labels initial high expectations from her as a teenager have not proved successful thus far. It’s reported that she stated that on what will be the final record of her contract at ‘Just Record’ they can either accept their failure or take one final gamble on her. It’s not known what the label agreed to or whether they even took this on board, but only time will tell as the countdown officially begins with this latest single.
The track centre’s around love and the complexity of modern dating and issues with labels and understanding where both stand, something that seems to be more evident in today’s modern dating scope. The emotions of confusion and anger are at the forefront of the track and the psychological aspect is one that is not only shown on this track but is more prevalent in the work from her upcoming album as she stated in a recent interview,
“I think the battles that we all face on a daily basis shape us so much but it feels like only recently that people have started to understand and acknowledge their own minds and feelings a little more and become a little more aware of. I think pretty much every track that I’ve recorded for the album so far has had some sort of link to feeling, whether that be physical or mental. Certainly, even more so from a mental aspect. This falls under that category and I think most people that have tried dating in recent times could probably relate to this one. It’s definitely a track that comes from that modern day dating confusion and the all the fucked up little games that seem to just always surround that. There’s so many rules and little mind games that are played these days, it feels like you can never truly understand where you’re both at. I’ve gotta say though, this track is totally one sided. But it’s one that I think feels authentic to that modern day dating world. I know it’s completely fucking authentic to my own experiences. I think going into that dating world should come with a warning, maybe listen to this song if you’re about to open yourself up to that world again. All I could really say is stay strong, it’s fucking wild out there.”This track was written by Kara Romero alongside friend and collaborator Brayton Carter otherwise known as ‘Bellows’ from the rap group ‘Orion’, the pair became close friends after he was hired to DJ a birthday celebration for Kara back in 2019 prior to the groups breakthrough in 2020. The track was produced by Kara alongside Bellows and the other two members of Orion in Boa and Circuit at Basement Studios in Brooklyn, New York and is set to be released on 11th June, 2022 through Just Record and Dahlhouse Entertainment. It will serve as the lead single from Kara Romero’s upcoming sophomore studio album which is expected later in the year and this latest single will be made available via Digital Download, Worldwide Streaming, Weekly Airplay as a 12” Single and as a CD Single both limited to just 500 copies.
Song Description;The song begins with a repeated dreamwave-esque keyboard sound with a soft drumming beat heard faintly in the background, it’s not long before the opening lyrics are delivered by Kara in a smooth RnB vocal style which allows her to really give the theme and feeling of the song from the very outset as she sings over the RnB tinged music,
“I know we never liked to label things/But all the signs seemed to indicate that we were something/I kinda thought we were good/Thought we were just trying to avoid the word love/Just so shit wouldn’t get complicated/We fucked almost every night that you were in my home.” which immediately give the tone of the track, despite her softly spoken delivery it’s clear that there’s an anger and frustration coming from the lyrical content as she sings about an understanding of both people not wanting to put a label on the relationship at the risk of ruining a good thing, despite all the evidence pointing clearly to the fact that they were indeed something.
The music continues in a similar vein as we progress to the chorus early on, the speed of the backing music has increased slightly as she switches up tone slightly to deliver another RnB tinged vocal delivery but this time with a little more assertiveness and anger in the tone, giving the feeling that we’re hearing her side of the argument,
“Don’t even try to tell me that I should have seen the signs/When there wasn’t a single signpost/Don’t try to tell me that I should have read the signs/There wasn’t a single signpost/I guess I was the one/That was played the most.” and this gives us the very message of the track, drenched in confusion and skirting around the idea of saying what you truly feel, leaving one person comfortable and the other confused in a situation. The tone shift in vocal delivery matches the lyrical content as we delve deeper into the breakdown of a relationship.
The pace switches up completely as the chorus ends, the modern day RnB tone of the backing music fades out and we’re given a very beat heavy sound, drums and a bass highlighting this section of the track and as the music changes the vocal delivery does so too as Kara moves into full assertiveness as she jumps on the beat and delivers a rap verse that highlights the frustration and anger that lingers beyond the surface,
“For all intents and purposes, we were together/You can try to manipulate the situation/Keep saying we ain’t had that conversation/But actions speak louder/Everybody could fucking see it/We were exclusive in every fucking way/You were with me almost every god damn day/It’s just something we didn’t wanna say/Because we’ve seen how once it’s said you ain’t ever truly get that magic back/You can call me naïve/But I won’t take that personal attack/You can come around here/Trying to make amends/But I won’t fall for that bullshit/Just so we can fuck again.” and it’s clear that the tender RnB vocal style is linked to the idea of her trying to understand and rationalise the hurt that she feels and the rap vocal delivery is her allowing herself to be angry.
The music switches back as we return to the songs chorus,
“Don’t even try to tell me that I should have seen the signs/When there wasn’t a single signpost/Don’t try to tell me that I should have read the signs/There wasn’t a single signpost/I guess I was the one/That was played the most.” but this time is accompanied by a bridge which continues in that softer RnB delivery but with the lyrical content continuing in the assertive nature of the rap verse as she sings,
“I’ve seen this shit happen before/But didn’t think I’d be the one to fall for it/Didn’t think that was your MO/But I should have fucking known it/Shouldn’t have been so trustin’.” we’re given the songs chorus once more before we move into the final section of the song.
The track switches tone again as we head into another rap verse, the softness making way for the drum heavy and faster paced verse as Kara moves into rap mode once more,
“But you know me enough to know that once you’re out/You ain’t ever getting back in/I can be stubborn as fuck when I need to be/I know you keep calling me to talk/To try to smooth this shit over/But I can’t tolerate you loving me, when you’re fuckin’ wit another/It hurts inside/But I’ll keep my emotions undercover/Give me a moment to hurt/And then I’ll get over this/I’m strong enough to move past this shit/I take it as a lesson/To help me grow stronger.” and the internal calmness at accepting that she’s essentially done now, and that she’s said what she needed to say and let out whatever anger was needed to be let out is followed by one final return to the RnB vibe as she sings the songs chorus once more to play it out.
“Signpost”Written by Kara Romero, Brayton “Bellows” Carter
Produced by Kara Romero, Orion“I know we never liked to label things
But all the signs seemed to indicate that we were something
I kinda thought we were good
Thought we were just trying to avoid the word love
Just so shit wouldn’t get complicated
We fucked almost every night that you were in my home
Don’t even try to tell me that I should have seen the signs
When there wasn’t a single signpost
Don’t try to tell me that I should have read the signs
There wasn’t a single signpost
I guess I was the one
That was played the mostFor all intents and purposes, we were together
You can try to manipulate the situation
Keep saying we ain’t had that conversation
But actions speak louder
Everybody could fucking see it
We were exclusive in every fucking way
You were with me almost every god damn day
It’s just something we didn’t wanna say
Because we’ve seen how once it’s said you ain’t ever truly get that magic back
You can call me naïve
But I won’t take that personal attack
You can come around here
Trying to make amends
But I won’t fall for that bullshit
Just so we can fuck again
Don’t even try to tell me that I should have seen the signs
When there wasn’t a single signpost
Don’t try to tell me that I should have read the signs
There wasn’t a single signpost
I guess I was the one
That was played the mostI’ve seen this shit happen before
But didn’t think I’d be the one to fall for it
Didn’t think that was your MO
But I should have fucking known it
Shouldn’t have been so trustin’
Don’t even try to tell me that I should have seen the signs
When there wasn’t a single signpost
Don’t try to tell me that I should have read the signs
There wasn’t a single signpost
I guess I was the one
That was played the mostBut you know me enough to know that once you’re out
You ain’t ever getting back in
I can be stubborn as fuck when I need to be
I know you keep calling me to talk
To try to smooth this shit over
But I can’t tolerate you loving me, when you’re fuckin’ wit another
It hurts inside
But I’ll keep my emotions undercover
Give me a moment to hurt
And then I’ll get over this
I’m strong enough to move past this shit
I take it as a lesson
To help me grow stronger
Don’t even try to tell me that I should have seen the signs
When there wasn’t a single signpost
Don’t try to tell me that I should have read the signs
There wasn’t a single signpost
I guess I was the one
That was played the most”
Sound Alike;Kehlani – “Serial Lover”
Credits & Personnel;
CREDITSProduced Kara Romero and Orion
Engineered by Jadyn Ghalen, Brayton Carter
Mixed by Kara Romero, Brayton Carter
Recorded at Basement Studios, Brooklyn, New York, USA
PERSONNELKara Romero – vocals, lyrics, composition, production, mixing
Brayton “Bellows” Carter – lyrics, production, engineering, mixing
Jadyn Ghalen – production, engineering
Jamal Ghalen – production
Ignacio Santos – composition, bass, programming
Augustine Francis – drums, percussion
Rebecca Lowell – photography, art direction
