BEKA champions love against the odds in "Don't Call Me A Friend"

It’s been a year and a half since BEKA stepped out as a solo artist and patterns have started to emerge. After a slew of singles, her debut EP I’ll Be There showcased her authentic vocal alongside personal reflections of life, love, and loss – in what has come to be known as her signature style.

“Don’t Call Me A Friend” continues to appeal to people who their music to be relatable. With plain-spoken lyrics, this is a woman who isn’t afraid to “call it what it is” and the track’s warm, dreamlike quality will make you want to listen to what she has to say. As the upbeat verses come to a head, she parallels this energy with a relatively sparse and slow chorus, reminiscent of when time-stopping – a relationship coming to an end.

This isn’t a sad break-up song though. “Don’t Call Me A Friend” is for people who demand genuine empathy and emotional responsiveness in relationships and know they’re better off single than being dragged down by partners who aren’t providing that.

Speaking further about the track, BEKA shares, “In this body of work, I've been exploring the themes of legacy and identity and part of my personal story is that my Grandparents, who met each other in the ’50s in North Yorkshire - one from the West Indies the other from York - at that time when most people thought they shouldn’t be together, pursued love even amidst the haters. In the midst of a bunch of negativity, my Grandparents found a way to carve out a future together and choose love… for me, this is such a really timeless idea and sat at some of the inspiration for this song."

“When writing this, I was feeling done with being polite and I wanted to scream and shout and dance and let it all out. Musically I was trying to capture that moment when you close your eyes and imagine all your feelings, full colour, in music video format. This song for me is about letting out your feelings at full volume and having the courage to live your truth even in the face of negativity. It’s about being brave enough to choose the love you deserve.”

BEKA will be taking this inspirational attitude on tour with HONNE later this year – a full circle moment as a former member of their backing band. “Don’t Call Me A Friend” is guaranteed to be the track that gets the whole crowd singing together in a shared moment of unbridled joy.