With poppy sounds and a fantastic voice, Kechi and her single “All the Time” is a blast that’ll become a true song of the summer hit in the making. Combining tried and true elements of major pop hit in the past few years but feeling so wholly original, with even the utterance of lines like “birds are singing, me breathing your air has got me spinning” becoming so memorable backed by an especially chirpy memorable electronic fusion thanks to the fantastic mixing. It’s a crowd-pleaser of a jam that anyone will be able to enjoy, even someone like me who’s become a little jaded with pop music.
Kechi comes from an inspiring background of having survived a tragic plane accident leaving her one of two survivors, but not without giving her an abundance of burns across her body. Over the years this clearly hasn’t kept her from giving everything she has and putting it into her music and if this is any indicator, it’s paying off in spades. She’s a true talent who exists well beyond her unfortunate background and will not be pigeonholed as anything other than a true pop star. If you need any further proof, watch her incredible America’s Got Talent performance that is not only a testament to her incredible pipes, but will genuinely bring a tear to your eye with just her abilities and undeterred ambition.
This acts as the title track and first single from her self-titled album and it’s very clear that it’s a front-to-back delight that shows her clear range. Some may be a little off-put by how distant it might leave some from Kechi herself as a singer as it’s a love track that’s heavy on evocative imagery comparing things like comfort food and weather to how someone makes you feel, and while the lyrical work is strong, it doesn’t quite allow us to penetrate the complex soul of who Kechi is beyond her immense positivity, but that’s okay when the songs are this good. If you’re not a big pop fan, you genuinely might be swayed with this song or at least make an exception for her. The hook and harmonies on this track are really outstanding and I have rewound and listened to that chorus a billion times over just for the cathartic thrill of hearing how the backing track vamps playfully up and down while Kechi’s vocals stir. It’s an inspired work that comes from someone who’s just giving themselves over to the power of music in a wholly unironic way.
It’s the kind of song that represents a simpler time and is a good dose of what we could use in the world right now given everything that’s been happening as of late. This is effortless pop creation that only comes once in a while from a true talent. If I were you, I’d start familiarizing myself with Kechi quickly and watch astounding America’s Got Talent clip, because before you know it, we’ll be hearing her all the time.
Garth Thomas