by mariah estran
photo by daniel mutton
February 14th, Valentine’s Day, a holiday full of roses, grand gestures, and the iconic chalky candy hearts. But this year, for R&B songstress Kate Stewart, that date marked the release of the counteractive tune, the heartbreak anthem, “Hate You.”
The fiery number accentuates her satin-smooth vocals, as straightforward statements on becoming empowered speak within. With help from Grammy-winners and nominees Swagg R'Celious, Jeff “Gitty” Gitelman, and Ronny FLIP Colson, the team put together a song Stewart couldn't refuse.
After falling in love with the song, the singer recorded her vocals. Then, shortly after, the single came to life with a visual guided by creative director Betsy Johnson and director Jack Bowden. Together, creating a glam, speakeasy performance complete with an audience full of men resembling pigs. “I wanted to express that there’s many women out there who have maybe been in a situation where a man has made them feel uncomfortable or uneasy by being inappropriate, and that’s made her hate him,” she says about the music video.
The track serves as a powerful introduction for what’s to come from Kate Stewart in 2022, including her upcoming EP, You Had To Be There. She took time to tell us more about the single, making the music video, what to expect from her upcoming record, and what she would put on her heartbreak-anthem playlist.
You’ve just released the empowering new single, “Hate You.” What moment inspired you to write this track?
Kate: “I write all of my music, everything I’ve ever released, and all the new music on the new project I have either written on my own or with my amazing co-writers, but ‘Hate You’ I actually didn’t write! That’s very new to me, because as a writer I love getting involved in the whole process, however this was a testament to how much I love this song. I was in the studio in New York, with Swagg R’Celious, and he was playing me some of the new music he had been making recently. ‘Hate You’ was one of them and I became obsessed with it! Even though I didn’t write it, I can definitely relate to it, which is one of the reasons I decided to vocal the track. I’ve definitely been in the same situation as what this song speaks about, and so it was easy for me to pour my emotions into it.”
You got the chance to work with Grammy nominees and award winners while producing this track, such as Swagg R'Celious, Jeff “Gitty” Gitelman, and Ronny FLIP Colson. What was that experience like?
Kate: “It was a dream come true to work with legendary music giants. Even though I wasn’t actually in the studio with Jeff or Flip, I got to have a super chilled session with Swagg. It was actually the first time I’d met Swagg and we connected so quickly on both a personal and musical level. The fact that such incredible producers have let me jump on their song feels incredible. I’m so happy they liked my rendition of ‘Hate You.’”
You released a glamorous accompanying video showcasing a speakeasy-type environment complete with sharp fashion and a cameo by pig-type men. How does this video continue to tell the story of the track?
Kate: “My initial idea for the video came when I saw a video of Jessica Rabbit, singing ‘Why Don’t You Do Right’ in a club full of men drooling over her. I knew I wanted the video to feel dark, and a bit like a horror movie, so my amazing creative director Betsy Johnson helped me to achieve this. The song is about a woman, in a relationship with a man that she hates, so I wanted to play on that, but not make the video so specific to one relationship. I wanted to express that there’s many women out there who have maybe been in a situation where a man has made them feel uncomfortable or uneasy by being inappropriate and that’s made her hate him. I know it happens a lot, so I wanted to let all women know they are empowering and can always fight back!”
“Hate You” was released on Valentine’s Day and is the complete antithesis to the typical love ballad. This single is a heartbreak anthem. If you had to make a heartbreak anthem playlist, what other songs or artists would you add to it?
Kate: “Toni Braxton — ‘Unbreak My Heart’
Lauryn Hill — ‘Ex Factor’
Gloria Gaynor — ‘I Will Survive’
Boyz II Men — ‘End Of The Road’
Whitney Huston — ‘Where Do Broken Hearts Go’
Mariah Carey — ‘We Belong Together’
And the list goes on! I could make such a good heartbreak playlist, maybe I’ll have a heartbreak party and just play these!”
While producing and writing your upcoming EP, how did it help you process your own emotions regarding love and relationships?
Kate: “Usually I don’t write about love, I’m not a very soppy person, but when I do, which is rare, I find it quite easy to put my own emotions to one side and focus on really telling the story, so people can really relate. However there is a song on the EP that was really hard to write. I had to stop a few times during recording for a good cry. I find it easy to relay my story. I'm an over-thinker so I process it for a long time and can then pour it into my writing when the time is right.”
How does this first single set us up for what’s to come from the EP, You Had To Be There?
Kate: “This project is quite different to a lot of my other music, as is ‘Hate You’. Even though there is a lot of R&B on this EP, I feel like there is a song to fit every mood. I have explored quite a few different genres and topics, and even though it’s a very cohesive project, all the music sounds quite different to one another. I’m very excited for people to hear it.”