AKICITA Chronicles Her Self-Healing Journey With Debut Single ‘You Already Know’
Listening to AKICITA's striking and soulful single, "You Already Know," you'd never know it was her first ever.
The indie-pop artist's name means "warrior" in Dakota, representing her native heritage and upbringing on the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Reservation, and that strength is on full display on the soul-baring and honest track. As she introduces the world to her irresistible sound, she also explores the grips of a toxic relationship, touching on everything from its damage to her mental health to her own struggles with addiction. AKICITA holds absolutely nothing back, and it's clear her power is in her vulnerability. "You Already Know" is just a first glimpse into what's next for AKICITA, including her upcoming EP, Future in Disguise, and we got the inside scoop on the single and AKICITA's journey of healing in the interview below.
The Story Behind 'You Already Know'
AKICITA: I wrote this song at the beginning of 2021 about this failed relationship that happened to be the first and only relationship I've ever been in thus far. I knew I wanted to start here because I was still healing. I felt inspired to really get in there and write out these intense emotions that still weighed heavy on me years after the fact. I wanted to describe the complexity of how the demise of that relationship really made me feel, from my side.
I remember while I was in that relationship, I was figuring out so many things for the first time. Being faced with the terrifying possibility of having an alcohol problem at age 22 while knowingly being judged and ridiculed by someone I was deeply in love with absolutely broke me. I've been picking up every single piece since and still do to this day. I felt as though everything positive I had ever said and done for this person was completely dismissed and forgotten due to the already harshly stigmatized issues I was having with alcohol. I emphasize the fact that I bared my entire heart and soul to this person and so much more—just to be discarded in the end when real life hit and shit got tough Being dismissed as "crazy" or "too much" during one of the darkest times of my life is something I'll never forget the feeling of. This song was and is my way of validating my own experience. I've finally been able to give myself grace and compassion for how I was handling crippling pain, confusion and heartbreak at the time. There are two sides to every story, and this is mine.
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What 'You Already Know' Means
AKICITA: This song marks the beginning of a very long and tumultuous self-healing journey, so it means a lot to me. Writing this song was such a therapeutic way for me to validate my own experience without anyone trying to tell me how I should feel and how I should react. I hope it inspires my listeners to feel empowered to speak, write or sing about their sides of the story when a relationship fails, even if it was mutually toxic. It's okay to validate your own experience as well. It takes two to tango
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AKICITA's Favorite Lyric
AKICITA: My favorite lyric is "But… you already know," because he knows. That's why it's the title of this song. He knows exactly what part he played in the demise of our relationship.
For more of the stories behind our favorite new music, click HERE to read our interview with Zeph on her latest single, "you don't like me like that."