It felt like it was the perfect bridge between our last album and this new one. It also is telling you exactly what is going to happen through the album, because it’s a patchwork of moments that felt like healing to us. In the song, I said, ‘A church in open air,’ but I also say, ‘Yuri’s cards and the stars.’ And basically, Yuri is a friend of mine that read tarot to me a few days before we started the recording, and I asked her, ‘What are we supposed to be making?’ And she said, ‘A church in open air.’ She said it’s a church made of nothing—four pieces of wood, but it’s in open air and everybody meets there, and everybody heals, you included. The funny thing is, I said to Naomi, ‘Yuri just told me that we’re supposed to be making a church in open air.’ And she said, ‘Girl, a church in open air? OK, but where we can twerk?’ So, this is exactly what we are making—this is us in a nutshell.
Lisa-Kaindé Diaz
Matter and spirit
Our prophet
The open sea is calling me
Strange island
The mountain
Moon in retrograde
Oh, we'll be like sangoma
We'll be like sangoma
Eh, somo' milagrosas
Curándoles el alma
Oh, we'll be like sangoma
We'll be like sangoma
Eh, somo' milagrosas
Curándoles el alma
Curándoles el alma
We'll be like sangoma
Mm, we'll be like sangoma
Expand
Unknown lands
Maya speaks the truth
Yuri's cards
And the stars
Born to radiate
A church in open air, in the wild
This is where we collide
You asked, "How do we heal?"
And while you cry
Prayers rush out of our mouths
Oh, we'll be like sangoma
We'll be like sangoma
Eh, somo' milagrosas
Curándoles el alma
Oh, we'll be like sangoma
We'll be like sangoma
Eh, somo' milagrosas
Curándoles el alma
Curándoles el alma
We'll be like sangoma
Mmm, we'll be like sangoma
Lisa-Kaindé Diaz
‘O Inle’ is a song for Inle, who is the god of health and of healing. The idea was with ‘Sangoma,’ where we say, ‘Somo milagrosas/ curándoles el alma,’ which means we’re made of miracles, and we cured their souls—sangomas are healers from South Africa. And so, we would pick you up and take you to the top of a mountain, and then with ‘O Inle,’ we’d be showering you with light and healing and asking Inle to heal all of us. And then, we are ready for ‘Made of Gold’ and for everything that comes after, which is Ibeyi 2.0.
O Inle kere Leri osha unkwele
O Inle kere awa mio Alado kerere
O Inle kere Leri osha unkwele
O Inle kere awa mio Alado kerere
‘Made Of Gold’ is about connecting to our ancestors’ knowledge, to the truths of the past and the power of the ancient. The line is not broken, nor is it lost. Protected by these spells, our third album will see us conveying our reconnection to that power and channelling that magic into our new music.
We started doing it in Dorset because we were recording the album in London and in Dorset in two different houses. ‘Made of Gold’ was the first song we made all together. At one point, we were doing other songs and it was a week or two weeks later. And then, Richard [Russell] went to grab a coffee, and he bumped into Pa [Salieu]’s manager, and two days later he was there. It was really magical — he’s a special human being.
Naomi Diaz
On le—
On, on, le, le, fait, fait
On le fait ?
Make sure they hear us, feel it
We are the anger and the hunger
Make sure they hear us, feel it
Alright, one more time
Make sure they hear us (Hear us)
Feel it (Feel it)W
We are the anger and the hunger (Hunger)
Make sure they hear us (Hear us)
Feel it (Feel it)
We are the anger and the hunger
Holy water
Crying at the altar
Ignite your desire
Freedom from the mire, mire (¡Dale!)
Fire
Burning at the altar
Rewriting sacred scriptures
So we could be together, together
My spell made of gold, gold, gold
My spell made of gold, gold, gold
My spell made of gold, gold, gold
My spell made of gold, gold, gold
(Meet me at the altar)
Prayer
Kneeling at the altar
Gathering our power
Heat is getting higher, higher
I have dreams
My forefather told me, "Complete mission now"
They ain't really broke us
They can never break our story now
My soul shows them passion
Your history walks through
them golden lines
Your blood carries diamonds
When they thought they cleared that spirit away
We are the reincarnation
My spell made of gold, gold, gold
My spell made of gold, gold, gold
My spell made of gold, gold, gold
My spell made of gold, gold, gold
You know that it's good, you know that it's good for you
You know that it's good, you know that it's good for you
Make sure they hear us, feel it
You know that it's good, you know that it's good for you
We are the anger and the hunger
You know that it's good, you know that it's good for you
Make sure they hear us, feel it
You know that it's good, you know that it's good for you
We are the anger and the hunger
My spell made of gold, gold, gold
My spell made of gold, gold, gold
My spell made of gold, gold, gold
My spell made of gold, gold, gold
(Meet me at the altar)
(¡Dale!)
Oh, you with a spine
Who would work your mouth against this magic of mine
It has been handed down in an unbroken line
The sky encloses the stars
I enclose magic
I enclose magic
Lisa-Kaindé Diaz
‘Sister 2 Sister’ came out of a want to celebrate our sisterhood and our twinhood, which is crazy because we had made two albums prior and never really talked about being twins, which is the reason why we’re making music together. It became our little anthem. Also, it was a way to reference our past work because we referenced ‘River’ in this song, and we also say, ‘Here’s how you say Ibeyi.’ It felt like a way for us to say, ‘There’s been 10 years of us making this—you should know our name now.’ It was a way to flex and be proud of what we had done.
Our love is underwater
I’ve cried all over you
Slow down, now we’ve grown
Let’s start new
Our love lost in the forest
Burning inside of you
Slow down, now we’ve grown
Let’s start new
Sister, I had to tell you
Sister, hold me close
Swear you won’t let go
Bounded by our love
I had to tell you
Sister, you’re too close
Sister, let me go
Us despite it all, ayy
Dancing in front of the mirror
Singing along with Shakira
Washing our souls in the river
Washing our souls in the river
Bitch plan the future every day
“Twins are the same” is a cliché
Here’s how you say it: Ibeyi
Here’s how you say: Ibeyi
Sister, sister
Sister, sister
Sister, sister
My words are sometimes painful I’m sorry I’ve hurt you
Slow down, now we’ve grown
It’s all new Sister, I had to tell you Sister, hold me close Swear you won’t let go
Bounded by our love I had to tell you Sister, you’re too close Sister, let me go Us despite it all, ayy
Dancing in front of the mirror
Singing along with Shakira
Washing our souls in the river
Washing our souls in the river
Bitch plan the future every day
“Twins are the same” is a cliché
Here’s how you say it: Ibeyi
Here’s how you say: Ibeyi
Here’s how you say: Ibeyi
Sister, sister Sister, sister Sister, sister Sister, sister Sister, sister Sister, sister
‘Creature (Perfect)’ came from the pandemic and realizing that I had been trying to be perfect for so many people for so long and failing miserably at it, and that I was not happy. By trying to be perfect and morphing myself into what I thought every person in front of me wanted, I hadn’t discovered who I was fully. And so, it was my song to stop that and to embrace that I’m just a creature and embrace that. I can’t pursue this perfection because it was making me incredibly unhappy.
Lisa-Kaindé Diaz
Feathers and blue scales
Eyes evoking rain
When I lay down in the calm of the deep blue sea
I let the waves wash over me
(Let the waves wash over me)
Yo soy espuma
Y soy ceniza
Y le siembro el corazón a la Tierra
I don't have to be perfect
Don't have to be perfect
I finally see I'm just a creature
Don't have to be perfect
No, I am not perfect
I finally see who I'm supposed to be
Thunder out of pain
Stars in movement
When I realize in the dark,
watching them dance
They follow my fingertips
(Follow my fingertips)
Yo soy espuma
Y soy ceniza
Y le siembro el corazón a la Tierra
With my bad poems
My soft belly
Escaping who I'm supposed to be
My childhood prayers
Death watching over me
Accepting who I'm supposed to be
I don't have to be perfect
Don't have to be perfect
I finally see I'm just a creature
Don't have to be perfect
No, I am not perfect
I finally see who I'm supposed to be
‘Tears Are Our Medicine’ is a way of saying find your way to release what you want to do. For some people, it’s tears—but just find your way to release everything that is happening to your body. During COVID, I think a lot of people finally did it, but I think if they had done it earlier, it would have been less painful. And so, it’s a way of saying let it go. It’s not a weakness, it’s a strength.
Naomi Diaz
Matter and spirit
Our prophet
The open sea is calling me
Strange island
The mountain
Moon in retrograde
Oh, we’ll be like sangoma
We’ll be like sangoma
Eh, somo’ milagrosas
Curándoles el alma
Oh, we’ll be like sangoma
We’ll be like sangoma
Eh, somo’ milagrosas
Curándoles el alma
Curándoles el alma
We’ll be like sangoma
Mm, we’ll be like sangoma
Expand
Unknown lands
Maya speaks the truth
Yuri’s cards
And the stars
Born to radiate
A church in open air, in the wild
This is where we collide
You asked, “How do we heal?”
And while you cry
Prayers rush out of our mouths
Oh, we’ll be like sangoma
We’ll be like sangoma
Eh, somo’ milagrosas
Curándoles el alma
Oh, we’ll be like sangoma
We’ll be like sangoma
Eh, somo’ milagrosas
Curándoles el alma
Curándoles el alma
We’ll be like sangoma
Mmm, we’ll be like sangoma
It was meant to be a song, and then we made this interlude, which I love. It’s really genuine, and Pa is doing all the ad-libs. It was just having fun. […] We didn’t see [what it meant to be twins]. Richard, he was looking at something with his daughter, and it was saying the sister thing, the twin thing is like a foreign country. I said it [on the interlude], but we don’t recall the TV show.
Naomi Diaz
Yeah, just energies, yeah?
That sister thing
That twin thing
It's like a foreign country
It's like a foreign country
Twins are spirits of a higher rank
Here to honour a lineage and convey a message from the Heavens
They share the mother's womb
Treat them with complete equity
As they are duplicate forms of the same spirit
Ibeyis are the ultimate harmony
between two people
Two people
Je vous ai attendues
Vous êtes là
Vous êtes là
Le plus beau des cadeaux de la vie
Don't be shy, stand off and talk
Don't be afraid, stand off and then talk
Come on, feel that spirit, stand off—
Don't get me carried away, I told you, I told you
Dangerous (Come on, free the spirit)
Free up the spirits
Free the spirits
Lisa-Kaindé Diaz
We knew we wanted to create something with Jorja that would be different from what we’ve done previously that would allow us to connect with the true meaning of the song. […] “Lavender and Red Roses” is a song about the feeling we all experience when we love someone troubled. It could be a partner, a sibling, a parent, a friend. We wanted to talk about the pain of witnessing a loved one hurting, repeating patterns and getting lost. And how it triggers in us the desire to reach them, hold them tight and wash their troubles away with lavender and red roses. But the truth is you can’t save them, if they pull you into their darkness, you will have to protect yourself, and allow them to find their own strength and light, their own way.
Don't say I never warned you
Don't
Don't say I never warned you
Don't
Late at night, devil's eyes
Inner life and inner lies
Is it fate? Is it late?
It's hard to look at you with so much pain
We connect with open hearts, baby
But you still walk towards the dark lately
I've welcomed you with open arms, baby
But you still walk towards the dark lately
Lavender and red roses, yeah
Lavender and red roses, yeah
Lavender and red roses
Lavender and red roses, yeah
Lavender and red roses, yeah
Lavender and red roses
You still walk towards the dark
You reveal, your scars heal
Analysing how you feel Your mistakes, run away Can't you hear me? Is this promise real?
We connect with open hearts, baby
But you still walk towards the dark lately
I've welcomed you with open arms, baby
But you still walk towards the dark lately
Lavender and red roses, yeah
Lavender and red roses, yeah
Lavender and red roses
But you still walk towards the dark
Lavender and red roses, yeah (The dark)
Lavender and red roses, yeah (The dark)
Lavender and red roses
BERWYN is on this track. He listened to it, and he did his verse really fast. For him, listening to this song made him think of George Floyd, and it’s beautiful. I think the thing is, with this song, you can think about everything. It could be for women. It could be for minorities. It’s a song for the oppressed. It could be something small or something really big, but I think this song is just empowering.
Naomi Diaz
We're comin' and we're not comin' to play
Rise above
Rise above
Rise above
We're gonna rise above
Rise above
Rise above
Rise above
We're gonna rise above
Jealous cowards try to control, yeah
They distort what we can say (Oh-oh-oh-oh)
Try and stop what we can do, yeah
When they can't do it themselves (Oh-oh-oh-oh)
Rise above
Rise above
Rise above
We're gonna rise above
Rise above
Rise above
Rise above
We're gonna rise above
Rise above
Don't worry, you're alive, put your lighters up
They wanna tell us how to think and how to laugh
And how to cry and how to move
Listen, give me a second, let me find a fuck (Oh-oh-oh-oh)
Poor George Floyd died on the floor and everyone saw
So now I sip Don P because I can afford it
If they decide tonight that they all wanted to fight
Then I'm the first guy that's standin' in line for the war, war
Society's arms of control, yeah
They think they're smart, well, think again (Oh-oh-oh-oh)
They laugh at us behind our backs
Find satisfaction in what they lack, yeah (Oh-oh-oh-oh)
Rise above
Rise above
Rise above
We're gonna rise above
Rise above
Rise above
Rise above
We're gonna rise above
We are tired of
We are tired of the abuse
We are tired
Try to stop us, it's no use
We are tired
We are tired of the abuse
We are tired
Try to stop us, it's no use
Rise above
Rise above
Rise above
We're gonna rise above
Rise above
Rise above
Rise above
We're gonna rise above
Diaz
We’re saying the names of our family members that are gone, friends of the family that are gone, some artists in it that have changed or that have impacted us in some way. We could have put way more artists, but we were not going to do a 20-minute song. It’s a cover of a song that our dad [Angá Diaz] made called ‘Rezos,’ but he was saying his own names, the names of the artists that he loved, musicians that he loved. In between each name, there’s a voice saying ‘ibae,’ and that’s his voice. We knew for a long time that we wanted to do our own version of it. And I think it’s beautiful because it’s just thinking about people we love.
Naomi
Guiro (Ibae, ibae)
Miguel Aurelio Diaz (Ibae)
Angá Diaz (Ibae)
Yanira Diaz (Ibae)
Maria Luisa Diaz (Ibae)
Raymond Levy (Ibae)
Lucie Levy (Ibae)
Monique Fallières (Ibae)
Elsida Amaya (Ibae)
Remi Kolpa Kopul (Ibae)
Roy Hargrove (Ibae)
Cachaíto (Ibae)
Gil (Ibae)
Vera Zana (Ibae)
Phylis Whitaker (Ibae)
Prince (Ibae) (Ibae)
Miguel Aurelio Diaz (Ibae)
Angá Diaz (Ibae)
Yanira Diaz (Ibae)
Maria Luisa Diaz (Ibae)
Raymond Levy (Ibae)
Lucie Levy (Ibae)
Monique Fallières (Ibae)
Elsida Amaya (Ibae)
Remi Kolpa Kopul (Ibae)
Roy Hargrove (Ibae)
Cachaíto (Ibae)
Gil (Ibae)
Camille Poret (Ibae)
Vera Zana (Ibae)
Phylis Whitaker (Ibae)
Prince (Ibae)
Guiro
