Kay Franklin Delivers a Smooth, Honest, and Soulful Debut with & So It Was

Songwriter. Singer. Rapper. Producer. Engineer. Instrumentalist.
Kay Franklin wears every hat and wears them well. His debut album, & So It Was, is a cohesive and beautifully crafted project that captures the emotional complexity of love, lust, and vulnerability through Kay’s lens — one that’s effortlessly player, deeply reflective, and unmistakably soulful.

Available now exclusively on Bandcamp and EVEN, the 19-track album reads like a diary of what Kay calls an “imaginationship” — a connection that was real enough to feel, even if its definition was unclear. As he puts it:

“& So It Was is the story of an imaginationship I was in with a girl. Not entirely sure what it was, but… it was. For what it’s worth, at the very least it felt real. shrug”

💔 The Story of an Imaginationship

Kay Franklin shines as both lyricist and producer, balancing confident playboy energy with emotional intelligence. The album’s sequencing mirrors the emotional arc of a situationship — from passion and confusion to reflection and closure.

The standout “inbetween” sets the tone early with lyrics that blend honesty and bravado:

“I’m inbetween girls
voices in my head saying I need girls
tryna get out the streets
find me a dream girl…”

It’s both confessional and conversational — the sound of a man caught between what he wants and what he needs.

The follow-up, “artwork,” contrasts past and present lovers, turning a breakup into a gallery exhibit: “My last was a piece of work / My new one’s a piece of art.”

Then there’s “fresh squeeze,” a metaphor-rich groove comparing his muse to organic fruit at its prime — a vivid image only Kay could make sound this smooth.

💫 The Sound and Feel

Throughout & So It Was, Kay blends buttery R&B melodies with hip-hop cadences and lush, sensual production. “say i won’t” emerges as a standout — its instrumentation warm, layered, and hypnotic — while “do i even wanna know” and “get your shit” cut deeper, tackling doubt and distance with emotional precision.

“just friends” highlights the pitfalls of intimacy without friendship, as Kay delivers one of the album’s most thoughtful hooks. The project closes with “happy now”, a bittersweet outro that finds him letting go, wondering if the woman who inspired it all found peace — and if he ever truly will.

🎧 Final Thoughts

& So It Was feels timeless — a journey through self-reflection, lust, heartbreak, and growth. Kay Franklin stands out as an artist who can make vulnerability sound player, and make R&B feel cinematic again. This is the kind of album you live with — late-night drives, quiet mornings, or long flights when you’re sorting through your own “imaginationships.”

Listen and support the independent release:
👉 Kay Franklin – & So It Was (Bandcamp)