Kwn (pronounced “kay one”) has just woken up. The 25-year-old musician, real name K Wilson, is swathed in a soft grey Supreme hoodie, New York Yankees cap pulled down low, eyes bleary from the night before (it’s a cosier fit than her usual boxy shirts, roomy tailored trousers and loafers). Although she’s in Miami, she’s not been running wild in the city’s many famous clubs. No, she’s here to work. Long days have turned into late nights in the studio and late nights have turned into productive mornings. But this is how she likes it. “Not being able to get creative was weighing me down,” she says of her promo-heavy year thus far. “So I’ve tried to focus this second half of the year on making music.”
Kwn is softly spoken, with the sort of melodic twang that east Londoners will recognise, but in her music she’s forthright – butter-smooth vocals glide over intricate, carefully crafted beats, the sort that itch your brain (her production skills were fine-tuned at East London Arts and Music, a sixth-form college she regularly credits as a game-changer). Although she’s British, her music has an American sensibility, which checks out: she’s into ’90s R&B vocal groups such as Jodeci, Dru Hill and 112, and grew up on Brandy and Beyoncé. Imagine if those artists delivered Sapphic bedroom anthems for 2025 and you’re getting close to Kwn’s sound. It’s no wonder she has a feverish US fanbase. “I haven’t forgotten about home, but the Americans appreciate R&B differently,” she says.
It’s been a big year for Kwn, easily her biggest yet. In June, she released her debut major-label EP, With All Due Respect, a sultry, honey-soaked love letter to classic R&B, all soulful vocals and steamy lyrics. Its breakout hit? “Worst Behaviour” with the remix, featuring Kehlani, racking up a hefty 19 million views on YouTube. Kwn’s comment sections were strewn with queer R&B fans trying to figure out if they’re together romantically. “It was super organic, proper natural,” is all she will say of the collab.
Growing up as a kid in Walthamstow, Kwn would sit in her bedroom saying her hopes and dreams out loud. “I manifested my whole career, for real,” she says matter-of-factly, a cheekbone tattoo of the angel number 11 glinting through the screen. “And yeah, it’s all come true. I’m working with people I’ve always wanted to work with. I’m travelling around the world. I’m super grateful.”
Cover look: leather jacket and necklace, Louis Vuitton men’s. Twill trousers, The Frankie Shop. Leather loafers, Marsèll. T-shirt, Kwn’s own. Photograph: Adama Jalloh. Styling: Lois Adeoshun.