Vid Pick: Kashish – Cycles


The topic of toxic relationships has been a staple of music for generations, but while many artists sing about being in such relationships, or being the cause of such relationships, very few truly deal with the realities of such relationships. This is where R&B artist Kashish, and her new single, “Cycles,” comes in.

With “Cycles,” Kashish addresses the twists and turns of being in a toxic relationship, and how to escape the situation.

I caught up with the Philly, by way of NYC, artist to find out more about the song, the ballet filled video, and the best ways of dealing with a toxic relationship, whether it’s one you’ve found yourself in, or one you see a friend in.

“Cycles” is about being in a toxic relationship, and finding a way to end it. When you think back on your own relationships that may have been toxic, what were the indicators that made you realize they were toxic, and how long after that did you actually cut ties with those people?

This is such a great question.

A strong indicator that you are in a toxic relationship is when you stop following through with your dreams and goals because the person constantly gets in the way of them. This goes for friends and family, too.

If you are consistently frustrated with a person, and if they make you feel insecure, or bad about yourself, you can't focus on the things that make you happy in life.

I think what it takes to cut ties with a toxic relationship is realizing your self worth, and that realization definitely takes a long time. 

When you see someone else in a toxic relationship, is there any way to help them, or do they have to come to the realization themselves?

There is always a way to nudge someone in the right direction, but ultimately it is up to them to really make a change. You can't force someone to do something they do not want to do, or aren't ready to do.

As a person who has witnessed toxic relationships, the best thing anyone can do in that situation is to be supportive, and not judgemental. Toxic, however, is different from abuse. That's when people should definitely step in to help.

If you see, or feel like, someone is being abused mentally or physically, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline, or RAINN. These organizations are wonderful because they know exactly how to help in these dangerous situations.  

The video for “Cycles" features some impressive ballet/interpretive dancers. Why did you feel dance was another artistic medium that would work well for telling the story of “Cycles?”

My director, Kathleen Sheehan, and I agreed that we wanted dancers in the video because we wanted to convey the message of "Cycles" in as many ways as possible.

In dance, you use your body to portray emotions, and so many people connect with that.

Through the dancers’ movements you can feel the pain and struggle of the relationship in the song, and I don’t think you would have gotten that emotional pull from the video had dancing not been in it. 

Will there be an EP, or album, that “Cycles” is featured on, or is it going to be a standalone track?

"Cycles," as of now, is a standalone track.

We have another conceptual EP that we are working on, and we are not sure if we want to include "Cycles" on that EP, even though it sort of fits with the concept. So I guess my answer is we will see. 

What else do you have in the works for the rest of 2017, be it recording, performing, or supporting causes?

There are so many things going on in 2017, some of which I cannot talk about yet. What I can tell you is that I recently donated to RAINN, and I can't wait to donate more money to them because they are such an amazing cause.

I am writing a new EP, which will either come out by the end of this year, or early next year.

I am also planning on doing some shows in NYC and Philadelphia.

For more Kashish, check her out on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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