Keziah Zoë Meyers is an artist who goes by the name lordkez, and trust me, it’s a name you don’t want to forget. The 21-year-old musician hails from Kimberly, a small mining town in South Africa, and is being tipped as the new “one to watch” on the SA music scene. Following the release of her debut EP Revenge Season, where she digs deep into themes like regret, love, lust and jealousy, lordkez discusses what inspires her and what’s next with Bee Beardsworth. Her latest single release “Rain” is out on September 4th.

A peek at her Instagram reveals lordkez to be a woman of constant physical transformation and experimental embodiment, with constantly changing hair styles, fashion choices ricocheting between girlish and sensual to masculine, and artistic, experimental makeup looks and aesthetics. Much like the Goddess Kali Ma who appeared to her in a dream, it seems fitting that, as the divine feminine energy represents the darkness of rebirth, destruction, and creation, Keziah Zoë Meyers, better known by her stage name lordkez, is a multifaceted vocalist with a body of work that embraces her own personal transformation and growth through experiences. Following the release of her debut EP Revenge Season last year, lordkez was selected as an Apple “Favourite New Artist”. Ahead of her latest single release “Rain”, (out everywhere on the 4h) she discusses her love for Erykah Badu, divine feminine energy and embracing darkness as part of her creative process with Bee Beardsworth.

Hey, how are you?
I am great thank you, vibing in my peace.

I’m sure you always get asked this, but what’s the story behind the name lordkez?

Well, it started when I was choosing an Instagram name and everyone was calling themselves "Kings" and "Queens" and I thought to myself "I am not either of those, I am a LORD". Also, in the words of Erykah Badu, "If we were made in his image, than call us by our name". Right now, I feel like my name represents divinity, duality and power.

I understand you’re originally from Kimberly, but now live in Johannesburg (JHB). Has living in these places with very rich and diverse musical heritage influenced your sound?

Ummm, honestly, I think I was influenced more by the surroundings in each city. When I stayed in Kimberly, I was younger and was surrounded by the music that played in my household. As I got older, I started playing music that I took interest in and that spoke to my taste. I only moved to JHB about a year and a half ago, so the city has played a role in fine tuning my ear and taste because of the creatives I am around and the different things I am experiencing here.

I’ve actually spent half of my life in Cape Town, but I’ve never really been to JHB. I’ve heard such great things, that it’s really on the come up as a creative hub and is becoming recognised worldwide. How do you feel about it?

I love it here! It's a vibe! JHB is a big city, with so many different creatives. I live in an area called Maboneng, which is a very arty and creative space within JHB City Centre. There is so much going on here, from fashion design to visual arts, music and even cool things like cooking and dancing.

You released your debut EP Revenge Season last year. How did you find your sounds and subject matter for the music? It seems to be focused on the experience of pretty potent and sensual emotions like jealousy, lust and love.

When I wrote Revenge Season I was in a very emotional place in my life. I was going through some changes in my personal life and my professional life was just starting, so there was a lot I was feeling. I also tapped into my past life experiences and used the music as a way to truly express myself.

Growing up, I was (and still am) a shy person, and like most people I battled with myself and my traumas. That is why the theme is so bloody and dark, because it represents me "killing off" a part of me that I felt was holding me back from finding my light. In the last song on Revenge Season, I am confronting myself and breaking free from the "Vendetta" that I have held against myself for so long. Revenge Season was a new birth for me, an emotional release and a step forward in my life. Oh, I also recorded and wrote the entire EP in 10 studio sessions. Shout out to my dawg ShooterKhumz on the production, he knew exactly what I needed.

On your Instagram I saw posts of Kali, the Hindu goddess of who destroys evil to protect the innocent, brings liberation, and is a potent symbol of feminine divine power. There are also a few posts relating to astrology and alchemy. Is your spirituality and embracing of the divine feminine part of your creative process? I feel like there’s some goddess energy in your visuals for “WAE (When It All Ends)”.

Definitely, spirituality and embracing divine feminine power is part of my daily life. I am fortunate enough to almost live in my creative process. I don't see myself separate from my music, I am fluid with my art - So, yes I do channel all that energy into my creative process, but I also work towards giving that energy off by expressing it and being mindful of it when it presents itself for me to receive. Goddess Kali Ma came to me in a dream of mine, it was very lucid - I was standing in front of a mirror taking off my wig, but as I took it off another one would reappear. I just continued taking off the same black wig till I looked to my side to tell someone what was happening, because I was so confused. When I looked back at the mirror, I saw myself with my big natural hair out and my skin was blue with four arms. I was looking at myself so intensely and in awe. That is when I realised that I was looking at my higher self through the form of Shakti in Kali through me.
So, I pay homage to the divine every chance I get. I feel like ever since then I have been on a new journey towards the light.

You also have a post of Erykah Badu’s Live album cover. What does she mean to you as an artist, and how does she inspire you?

Erykah Badu is one of my biggest inspirations because of how connected I feel to her music and through all the ways she expresses herself. She is multidimensional and unique, and these are the things I see for myself as an artist. Also, she represents the levels that an "alternative" artist can reach in this commoditised world and that is huge for someone like me to see.

What is the narrative behind the visuals for your latest video “WAE (When It All Ends)”? To me, the song seemed like it was about feeling a loss of control around your emotions for someone, but the video told a different story.

“WAE” is about the feeling of wanting someone that is not interested in you, and as soon as they get interested in you, you lose interest in them. The video narrative is me as an "Iced Out Vampire" entertaining a dude that thinks he is getting somewhere with me, but I am not interested in him in the way he thinks. Rather, I see him as my next victim. At the end, you see that he joins the rest of my collection of victims in their coffins. Lol.

I understand that you’re a multi-faceted creative. What else do you work on apart from music?

I love this question. I do some writing, painting, drawing and recently I have started exploring ideas to create some of my own clothing. I like testing myself and trying out new things in the creative space.

What is coming next for you as an artist?

My next project is recorded, mixed and mastered - we are currently preparing the supporting visuals and roll out. My team is on it and they are doing an amazing job! It's going to be a big vibe.

The video for your single “Disgusting” is really creepy (in a good way) and gives me major flashbacks of American Horror Story and big Billie Eilish vibes. What inspired the horror-themed visuals?

Hahaha, I love it! Ummm, the best way to describe the inspiration is touching on what I mentioned earlier (the Revenge Season mixtape) about the theme being dark and bloody because of me being in a darker place in my life. I just felt like doing something DISGUSTING would be fitting for the song and for how I was feeling at the time. I love Billie Eilish, she mad fly!

Who are your favourite musicians?
Wow! There are so many, I could make a list of 100 that inspire me, but for the sake of getting from A to B, I will list the below:
- Erykah Badu
- Amy Winehouse
- Mac Miller
- India Arie
- J.Cole
- Sevdaliza
- Childish Gambino
- FKJ
- IAMDDB
- SZA
So many more to add to this, but let's leave this here for now. Ask me tomorrow and it might be different.