VINDATA
All I Really Need (ft Kenzie May)
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This song brings back so many memories of 2015 when I really got into electronic music and OWSLA, it has such a nostalgic feeling to it.
‘All I Really Need’ is a soft, dreamy record that blends future-bass and electronic R&B to create atmospheric electronic music with emotional and soulful undertones. Kenzie uses vivid drug metaphors and intimate confessions to paint a picture of two people caught in a coping loop - craving escape but knowing it’s finite.
The instrumental blends dreamy electronic textures with a slow, bass-heavy rhythm that feels both dreamy and grounded. The song starts with what sounds like reversed piano chords and a chiming sound that gives the impression of moving backwards whilst the soft drums keeps the tracking moving forward creating this surreal soundscape.
The faint organ in the background - quite a grounding instrument often associated with churches and religious ceremonies - adds a subtle spiritual undertone, tying with the songs theme of searching for inner peace.
During the chorus and pre-chorus, bird-like synths sings from the left, adding a sense of nature and peace to the track. It creates a soothing atmosphere that helps envision the calm, green setting typically associated with marijuana which is mentioned in this track to be Kenzie’s preferred substance. A more dance-driven arpeggiated synth plays during the chorus, accompanied by double time hi-hats that pushes that track with energy. The synth textures, used with slight vibrato elevate the lush, ethereal atmosphere giving the song a dreamy sense of motion.
Kenzie’s unique vocals are soft, airy and intimate, floating gently over the instrumental. She carries a quiet, vulnerable tone, perfectly matching the tracks dreamy and introspective atmosphere
“Baby boy bad as you wanna be” - Playfully acknowledges her drug dealer’s rebellious and edgy behaviour. By calling him “Baby boy”, she places herself in a position of control or awareness as it could show that Kenzie can see through his façade, implying it might not be who he truly is, but a performance he commits to survive.
“Goes on trips for the scenery” - This can be seen as a means of escape - either through physical travel or drug use. Drugs are a common use of escape especially hallucinogens as they create vivid, colourful visions that offer and temporary relief from reality, suggesting he abuses drugs to avoid his problems.
“Take me with get me from my door sir, but don’t you dare come any closer.” - Here, Kenzie also experiences the same way of escapism for her problems. She invites him to her door - likely symbolising that he is supplying her with drugs but warns him not to get too close. Kenzie shows her awareness of the damage intimacy has between two struggling people as she says, “Appreciate your service but I’ll only hurt you, sorry” showing gratitude for the drugs he provides while keeping a boundary up. She refuses to let their relationship become more than transactional, knowing her own capacity to harm. “I’m not here to stay, pass it, and I’ll be on my way” further confirms her clear intentions of getting her quick fix and moving on.
“You’ve been chasing new things, fallen out of love with Molly” - Molly is a common nickname for MDMA or Ecstasy. The use of the nicknames personifies the drug like a former lover he’s falling out of love with. This line is quite ironic as MDMA is known as ‘the love drug’ yet here, it represents emotional numbness or detachment. It suggests he has built up a tolerance for MDMA and wants to try a new substance to fix his problems, proving how detrimental their mental health and abuse has become.
“I’m always with Mary, she don’t like your good friend Charlie” - This is another play on drug slang - Mary being marijuana (a depressant) and Charlie (a stimulant). The two don’t mix well, just like Kenzie and her dealer. It can be taken as a subtle way of saying they’re not compatible, as they represent their preferred drug.
“You don’t wanna be lonely, ain’t that everybody” - Despite the drugs he uses to escape, he still feels lonely and looks for a way to fix that. Kenzie sees through this and subtly downplays the feeling, implying it's universal. The line also suggests he may use sex like a drug, chasing temporary highs to escape loneliness, only to return to it again, feeding a destructive cycle.
“No stems, no seeds please” - This is a nod to quality; stems and seeds are found in lower quality marijuana - Kenzie wants the best quality high for her fix.
“And another bag to go” - This is likely a tongue-in-cheek way to symbolise picking up another bag of drugs for her journey as “to go” can hint at constantly being on the move, emotionally or physically, never settling. It’s not a one-time thing either; she’s regularly using and grabbing “another bag to go” showing how normalized it’s become, as if it’s like a take-away order.
“Baby boy, tell me I’m all you need” - This line interests me as it goes against the constant rejection of a deeper connection in the song. On the surface, it sounds romantic, but to me, Kenzie is likely expressing a desire for emotional validation and self-worth, which may be the root of her problems. As she is a regular customer for her dealer, she seeks validation in their transactional relationship and wants to be told she is needed; she wants to hear and feel desired but without experiencing the complications of physically acting on it.
“As he sows his seeds in the greenery” - Can be taken literally as he is growing marijuana to sell. Alternatively, it might symbolize him trying to plant himself into her life, attempting to grow something like a relationship or dependency in the space she uses for escape and healing