Proving herself as a songwriter over the years through prominent contests and competitions, Kenzie Cates has swiftly made it onto radars near and far. She broke the top 10 this year in the Nashville Songwriter’s Association International Annual Song Contest and was a semi-finalist in the American Songwriter’s Annual Song Contest. Back in 2021, she was also a semi-finalist in the CBC/Toyota Searchlight Competition, and the year before that, Kenzie was participating in retreats and masterclasses that focused on songwriting, earning placement in Judy Stakee’s songwriting retreat in March of 2020 and Andrew Allen’s masterclass through the Songwriter’s Association in Canada in May of 2020. Kenzie knows how to use her words very well, made clear when she released “right about me” this past March. The track was her first single that touched on her experience in a cult, which she exited last fall. Following up the single, Kenzie is releasing “i don’t need u,” which continues to tell her story.
With “i don’t need u,” Kenzie delivers a feisty pop track that focuses on the freedom she feels now that she is out of the cult. With steady and intense vocals, she sings, “I’ve been feeling my own vibe lately / I’ve been doing my own thing daily / I’ve been seeing myself more clearly,” eager to get her life back. She also drops a few sassy “damn” lines, as in, “I’m starting to see what I want from me / Damn / I kinda like it,” owning this new situation. You can check it out in the video below, shot and directed by Shiraz Higgins.
About “i don’t need u,” Kenzie explains,
“Being in a cult and then subsequently leaving has been one of the hardest things I’ve ever been through. The person I had to become to belong was not somebody I recognize today. Songwriting and music weren’t really allowed in the cult, so after leaving, a big part of coming back to myself was pursuing a career in pop music.”
You can listen to “i don’t need u” on platforms like Apple Music, Spotify, and SoundCloud.
Keep up with Kenzie Cates: Instagram // Facebook // TikTok // YouTube // Website
