‘with all due respect’, kwn is Coming for the R&B Crown: EP Review
East London’s kwn is as multifaceted as they come. Writer, producer, performer and modern day marketing genius. There’s nothing she can’t do. She’s worked her way up from being a small-time independent artist, to an R&B heavyweight on RCA Records’ roster. Her social media following has grown at breakneck speed, a testament to her work-rate and talent. She continues to feed R&B fans everywhere, ensuring they never go hungry. Her latest EP with all due respect unsurprisingly does well to satiate the masses.
She’s the definition of a hot commodity, and 2025 has seen countless people clamouring for the chance to interview her. Sitting down with DJ Semtex and discussing her journey in the music industry so far, kwn admitted “You have to be so delusional and just tell yourself I’m the best, no matter what happens I’m gonna get to the top… tell yourself that you’re the best every single day and that energy will transfer to other people.”
True to her word, opening track bite me INTRO is self-assurance in song form. It opens with the tinkling of piano keys, suggesting a more lighthearted number, but that quickly subsides when the vocals enter. The usual alluring, hypnotic cadence she’s renowned for is replaced by something more assertive and confident: “Seven-figure deal, ‘bout to buy myself a Jeep truck, and start charging 100k for my features.” Towards the end, she confesses “I don’t wanna be humble no more.” It’s a moody number, unlike the rest of her catalogue, where she pleads her case for receiving her flowers whilst she’s still around to see them. Based on her current trajectory, she’s well within her rights to be a little arrogant.
Elements of 90s R&B course through the veins of fourth track back of the club. Arguably the most eagerly awaited of the tracks thanks to viral snippets on social media, it doesn’t disappoint. A sexy, satin-like instrumental that you could hear the likes of Jodeci or Tweet on, with all the familiarity of the baby-making music responsible for (most) of us being here today. Never one to be coy, kwn showers the object of her affection with admiration and shares her desires - “And them hips stay stuck to my waist girl, treat you like a holster” - before transitioning into a dreamy bridge. A scarcity in songs as of late, kwn is single-handedly making bridges great again. The track is the embodiment of stolen glances that turn into intense eye contact, heightened chemistry, whispered sweet nothings, feather-like touches on heated skin. It’s steamy, provocative and downright raunchy.
fxckin (interlude) is aptly named, alluding to what might just happen after the events in the back of the club. It’s a short and sweet intermission, the length a juxtaposition to the lyrical content - “We just been fxckin’ and fxckin’, everyday fxck sake.” kwn’s wordplay is once again the star of the show, likening a romantic rendezvous to making music. Backing vocals stacked exquisitely and stripped back 808’s, it makes one hell of an impact.
kwn excels when it comes to solo songs, but when she does a feature, oh does she do it well. Track six on the EP, talk you through it sees a link up with British girl group royalty FLO. Not much needs to be said about the track name, it does what it says on the tin. Harmonies reminiscent of a Gospel choir are intertwined with a snappy instrumental, a melodic guitar solo coming to close out the song. The saccharine sweet voices of FLO provide a rich contrast to the risqué lyrics - “If I try to tap out, put me back in my place”. A long way away from their Cardboard Box days, and a noticeably more lustful jump from their single Soft, they seem to have found their grown woman sound, complementing kwn perfectly.
with all due respect provides ample space for kwn’s personality to shine bright and her lyrical genius to take precedence. Her flirtatious, playful, nature makes for easy listening on all the girls - the expert interpolation of Cherrelle & Alexander O’Neal’s Saturday Love a welcome treat for the ears - with a deep layer of introspection to tie it all together on ninth track war to be over.
It’s clear to anyone watching her journey that kwn is a force to be reckoned with. Unmovable. Churning out a second project which is 24 minutes of pure indulgence, no skips - with the B side still to come - music videos with views well into the millions, and her first batch of tour tickets selling out within minutes. At only 25 years old, she’s had a career that most can only dream of, and it’s not coming to a halt any time soon. I can say with some certainty that UK R&B is in safe hands.
