From the success of ‘Do You Mind’ and ‘ Daydreaming’, to the more recent success of ‘One Dance’ with Drake, Funky House legend Kyla is making her comeback in the UK music scene. Guap got the chance to catch up with her to talk Popcaan, visuals, and her new hit ‘You Ain’t Mine’.

So what’s life been like since you’ve come back?

It’s been a crazy whirlwind, that’s the only way I can explain it. It’s been a really amazing journey, but a really long one. But it’s nice to be back, ‘cos I feel like I’ve been gone s little while.

Did you just decide to take a break from music?

I didn’t really want to take a break but I got married, so I was supposed to just get married and then I was still doing music. But then I fell pregnant and I wanted to perform until I was showing, but what happened was I got Hyperemesis, which is what Kate Middleton is suffering from at the moment, and it just took me out of the game. I was in and out of hospital and my body had made the decision for me that I needed to leave the music alone, and get well and have my baby. By the time I decided okay I have my little boy, and I’m really enjoying being a mum and I’m gonna get back on to the music, was when I got the call from Drake’s team. So it’s like the timing was just perfect.

So obviously with the UK music scene right now Grime is like… you know everyone’s on to Grime. Do you feel like Funky House can have that?

100%. I always say that I feel like music goes in cycles. So it’s like everything has its moment, then it might disappear and then it has its time again. So I definitely think that it could be Funky’s time to shine. I feel like it’s definitely there but it’s maybe got like a new element, which makes it more fun.

Okay, I get you.

But I definitely think it’s time for it to come back.

Yeah ‘cos you still get a lot of the old school raves going on and that, but in terms of future stuff I’m not too sure. Do you feel like you’re the person to bring it back?

It’s funny ‘cos with me and Funky House, I didn’t really know the genre when we brought ‘Do You Mind’ out. I’d done a bass line version of the track and then my family members done the Crazy Cousinz version. And it was different, I’d never heard it… it was a new sound. I feel like I’m a bit of an all rounder; I do a bit of R’n’B, a bit of Funky, but I could never not do the Funky. It’s always going to be there, I feel like in my single ‘You Ain’t Mine’ it’s still there, you can hear it.

Yeah definitely.

But Ill Blu and Levi Lennox produced the track, and you know Ill Blu are known for doing some House tunes. So yeah I feel like Funky is definitely coming back.

I hope so. Who are some of your favourite UK artists right now?

I’m really feeling UK music at the moment. I was at the Mercury Prize Awards-

Ahh how was it?

It was amazing. Everyone was brilliant. I wouldn’t have wanted to be a judge, ‘cos it was hard. But I feel like UK wise, Stormzy, I’m a huge fan. J Hus; I love him.

I’ve liked him for so long. I was just like if this guy can get out of this road life, he’ll be sick and then he did it.

It’s just brilliant. Just to see him do so well. He’s killing it. There’s quite a few people now that are repping the UK.

I’ve literally only been listening to UK artists.

I mean Giggs is smashing it right now as well. I think it’s just the UKs time. It’s nice.

‘Cos UK music has its own thing; you’ve got Garage, Funky, Grime…

It’s like now people worldwide are starting to see it, which is nice.

Well especially with people like you, when people are going to your original track and like “what’s this, this is sick?”, and then you’ve got artists like Giggs working with Drake as well.

Thankyou, it;s nice to be put in that category of people, ‘cos I’m really big fans of them.

That’s cool, but yeah I watched the new video with Popcaan. In terms of visuals, ‘cos obviously UK music back in the day, our videos were terrible…

[laughs]

Or we don’t even have videos for the tune. How do you feel doing music videos now?

I love doing videos. Little Internet did a brilliant job with the visuals. When they said they were thinking about going to Jamaica, I was really excited ‘cos I thought it would be really fun to go and see where Popcaan lives, and meet his family, and the Unruly family. I’m used to doing videos in the UK where it’s cold…

Yeah forreal.

It was fun. You can really be creative and have your own ideas. Everyone keeps asking me what’s up with the yellow… I keep calling it a tractor, which is terrible.

Ohhh the digger?

Yeah and I’m just like it looked great.

So did you have a big input in the video?

Little Internet had an idea; I loved the idea of the smoke and the fire and just being sunny, with vibrant colours.

What are your plans for the future? Do you see yourself going out of your comfort zone? 

Yeah, so I’m working on an album. The album’s gonna come out next year. Someone said “Is it completed?”, and I have enough tunes to complete like three albums. But until someone says “that’s it, it has to come out now”, I feel like I’m always gonna create something. And I’m always looking for something different and stepping out of the box. I think it’s fun to work with different writers and different producers, because they always come with something different, and give you creative ideas. I’ve got some really exciting stuff coming.