Kellen Abston performs 'Active'

– Klassik: So “Active.”

I feel like, and as time has gone on, this song probably best encapsulates, I guess, like, my artist statement, my mission statement.

And that is claiming ownership and responsibility in your own life and inspiring people to wanna make change, to feel like they are a part of this human experience and not just watching it happen.

So for me, most songs start with piano.

I mean, a song like “Active” is literally just two chords.

Starting with those chords, and that dictates what the melody is, kind of where I want to go with my vocal inflections.

And then usually do a combination of, like, bass and drums.

Everything kind of starts from here.

[heavy beat] [piano notes] Some of the best pop songs, the science and the intricacies and, like, the art of keeping something simple without dumbing it down, so, like, that’s the space that I try to exist in, of, I want this to be accessible.

I want this to have color, but I want it to be something that you can latch into.

♪ Can’t be passive, gotta get active ♪ ♪ You can’t be passive, you gotta get active ♪ ♪ Can’t be passive, gotta get active ♪ ♪ You can’t be passive, you gotta get active ♪ ♪ Can’t be passive, you gotta get active ♪ ♪ Can’t be passive, you gotta get active ♪ ♪ Can’t be passive, you gotta get active ♪ ♪ Can’t be passive, you gotta get active ♪ ♪ Can’t be passive, you gotta get active ♪ ♪ Can’t be passive, you gotta get active ♪ ♪ Can’t be passive, you gotta get active ♪ ♪ Can’t be passive, you gotta get active ♪ ♪ Ah ♪ ♪ Can’t be passive, you gotta get active ♪ ♪ Can’t be passive, you gotta get active ♪ ♪ Can’t be passive, you gotta get active ♪ ♪ Can’t be passive, you gotta get active ♪ [piano notes] ♪ I’ve seen some things ♪ ♪ That you would find hard to believe ♪ ♪ These ain’t nightmares ♪ ♪ These ain’t dreams ♪ ♪ This is happening ♪ ♪ Can’t be passive ♪ ♪ In this life, you can’t be passive ♪ ♪ You gotta get active ♪ ♪ Can’t be passive, you gotta get active ♪ ♪ Can’t be passive, you gotta get active ♪ ♪ I’ve seen some things ♪ ♪ That you would find hard to believe ♪ ♪ These ain’t nightmares ♪ ♪ These ain’t dreams ♪ ♪ This is happening ♪ ♪ Can’t be passive ♪ ♪ In this life you can’t be passive ♪ ♪ You gotta get active ♪ ♪ Can’t be passive, you gotta get active ♪ [uptempo beats] ♪ Yeah, please take your time ♪ ♪ Relax, relax, hold up ♪ ♪ Please take your time ♪ ♪ Relax, relax, hold up ♪ ♪ Please take your time ♪ ♪ Relax, relax ♪ ♪ Relax, relax ♪ ♪ Please take your time ♪ ♪ Relax, relax ♪ ♪ La, da, yeah ♪ [stuttered reverberation] ♪ Ah, yeah ♪ ♪ Relax, relax ♪ ♪ Please take your time ♪ ♪ Relax, relax, hold up ♪ ♪ Please take your time ♪ ♪ Please take your time ♪ ♪ Please take your time ♪ [deep bass beats] ♪ One, two, three, let’s do ♪ ♪ I’ve seen some things ♪ ♪ That you would find hard to believe ♪ ♪ These ain’t nightmares ♪ ♪ These ain’t dreams ♪ ♪ This is happening ♪ ♪ Ha– ha– ha– ♪ ♪ Happening ♪ ♪ In this life, you can’t be passive ♪ ♪ You gotta get active ♪ ♪ We want all the smoke ♪ ♪ I’ve seen some things ♪ ♪ That you would find hard to believe ♪ ♪ These ain’t nightmares ♪ ♪ And these ain’t dreams ♪ ♪ This is happening ♪ ♪ It is happening ♪ ♪ In this life, you can’t be passive ♪ ♪ You gotta get active ♪ ♪ We want all the smoke ♪ ♪ I’ve seen some things, I’ve seen some things ♪ ♪ Some things that cannot be erased ♪ ♪ Confront my demons face-to-face ♪ ♪ I’m in a space of elevation ♪ ♪ The elevator cannot take me down or take me out ♪ ♪ The pace of my own race ♪ ♪ I might as well go crazy ♪ ♪ See it’s been raining in a purple hue ♪ ♪ When kingdoms fall, this Prince will do ♪ ♪ My print is new, this ink is fresh ♪ ♪ And dripping through the pages ♪ ♪ Burn some sage ♪ ♪ And grip these raging views of distant nations ♪ ♪ Why be patient ♪ ♪ When you can just mold a new civilization ♪ ♪ I’m alive, nation’s wanna stop a fella ♪ ♪ But I been rocking hella stages ♪ ♪ Slaying them per usual ♪ ♪ Just use the tools of ancient movements ♪ ♪ Move the fools who are just way too complacent ♪ ♪ This groove’s adjacent, never parallel ♪ ♪ I pair with hells in heavenly bodies ♪ ♪ My reverence is godly, but I’m no patron saint ♪ ♪ These patrons can’t even afford these pieces ♪ ♪ Peace I cannot paint with all this hate around me ♪ ♪ Surrounding with sounds in stereo ♪ ♪ Oh, there he go ♪ ♪ Speaking that “new-new” in mono ♪ ♪ But U2 like Bono can shred the hate ♪ ♪ If you were more aware of the things that scares you ♪ ♪ Stare it in the eye and tell it ♪ ♪ Yo, I dare you to climb the stairs to a higher place ♪ ♪ Not unlike Heaven ♪ ♪ I preach to reverends and the pastor ♪ ♪ If your pasture is not green ♪ ♪ My fertilizer will get you there so much faster ♪ ♪ Ooh, ahh ♪ ♪ Whoo ♪ ♪ Please take your time ♪ ♪ Relax, relax ♪ ♪ Please take your time ♪ ♪ Please take your time ♪ ♪ And you… ♪ ♪ I’ve seen some things ♪ ♪ That you would find hard to believe ♪ ♪ These ain’t nightmares ♪ ♪ These ain’t dreams ♪ ♪ This is happening ♪ ♪ In this life you can’t be passive ♪ ♪ You gotta get active ♪ ♪ We want all the smoke ♪ ♪ I’ve seen some things ♪ ♪ That you would find hard to believe ♪ ♪ These ain’t nightmares ♪ ♪ And these ain’t dreams ♪ ♪ This is happening ♪ ♪ Happening, it’s happening ♪ ♪ In this life, you can’t be passive ♪ ♪ You gotta get active ♪ ♪ We want all the smoke ♪ ♪ You can’t be passive ♪ ♪ You gotta get active ♪ ♪ You can’t be passive ♪ ♪ You gotta get active ♪ ♪ You can’t be passive ♪ ♪ You gotta get active ♪ ♪ You can’t be passive ♪ [reverberating] ♪ You can’t be passive ♪ ♪ You gotta get active ♪ ♪ You can’t be passive ♪ ♪ You gotta get active ♪ ♪ You can’t be passive ♪ ♪ You gotta get active ♪ ♪ We want all the smoke ♪ ♪ You can’t be passive ♪ ♪ You gotta get active ♪ ♪ Can’t be passive ♪ ♪ You gotta get active ♪ ♪ Can’t be passive ♪ ♪ You gotta get active ♪ ♪ Can’t be passive ♪ ♪ You gotta get active ♪ ♪ Can’t be passive ♪ ♪ You gotta get active ♪ ♪ Can’t be passive ♪ ♪ You gotta get active ♪ ♪ Can’t be passive ♪ ♪ You gotta get active ♪ ♪ Can’t be passive ♪ ♪ You gotta get active ♪ ♪ Can’t be passive ♪ ♪ You gotta get active ♪ ♪ I’ve seen some things ♪ ♪ That you would find hard to believe ♪ ♪ You gotta get active ♪ ♪ These ain’t nightmares ♪ ♪ These ain’t dreams ♪ ♪ This is happening, yeah ♪ ♪ In this life, you can’t be passive ♪ ♪ Gotta get active ♪ ♪ Can’t be passive ♪ ♪ You gotta get active ♪ ♪ Can’t be passive ♪ ♪ You gotta get active ♪ ♪ Can’t be passive ♪ ♪ You gotta get active ♪ ♪ Can’t be passive ♪ ♪ You gotta get active ♪ ♪ Can’t be passive ♪ ♪ You gotta get active ♪ ♪ Can’t be passive ♪ ♪ You gotta get active ♪ ♪ I’ve seen some things ♪ ♪ That you would find hard to believe, yeah ♪ ♪ These ain’t nightmares ♪ ♪ These ain’t dreams ♪ ♪ This is happening ♪ ♪ In this life, you can’t be passive ♪ ♪ Gotta get active ♪ ♪ Can’t be passive ♪ ♪ You gotta get active ♪ ♪ Can’t be passive ♪ ♪ You gotta get active ♪ ♪ I’ve seen some things ♪ ♪ That you would find hard to believe, yeah ♪ ♪ These ain’t nightmares ♪ ♪ These ain’t dreams ♪ ♪ This is happening ♪ [echoing] ♪ Can’t be passive ♪ ♪ You gotta get active ♪ ♪ Can’t be passive ♪ ♪ You gotta get active ♪ ♪ Can’t be passive ♪ ♪ You gotta get active ♪ ♪ Can’t be ♪ Whoo!

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