Didn't Know You

Album: Leo Rising (2015)
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Songfacts®:

  • Each Leo Rising track embodies different zodiac signs, and this song highlights what is said to be the intense traits of those born under the Gemini star sign. "The Gemini track is a story of betrayal," Karmin explained. "We wanted the listener to feel the passion and energy in the story, so we built it on a driving bass line with a syncopated drum groove which opens up to a full rhythm section of aggressive, pissed-off drummers."
  • Leo Rising was the first album Karmin released after leaving Epic Records, a move they made to gain more control of their lives and careers. Many of the songs were written under that umbra, including "Didn't Know You."

    The Karmin duo, Amy and Nick, got married around this time, something they put off to nurture their career. In 2017, they made another surprise move, retiring Karmin and introducing Amy as Qveen Herby, a rapper with attitude. In 2019, she told Songfacts about "Didn't Know You."

    "It was some unnecessary drama around the label thing," she said. "We signed that record deal with Epic and it felt like they believed in everything we were doing, and like we had the same vision for Karmin. The words we kept saying at the time were 'the hip-hop Adele.' Like, really great songwriting but with a good dose of hip-hop and that soulfulness that I love so much. Then it turned into this pop career, and we got this pressure to do things that weren't about our music anymore. It was disappointing and I had to point fingers at somebody, but I never would have become Qveen Herby if I hadn't experienced those things. So it was processing that intense feeling when they didn't see eye-to-eye with me at all, which was disappointing."
  • Directed by Stewart Yost, the music video is set in the old-West with lots of bloodshed and betrayal, and a little dancing.

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