If you’ve caught Apple Studios’ highly anticipated F1 The Movie, you’ve already experienced the work of rising songwriter Kevo, even if you didn’t realize it. In a pivotal training sequence between Brad Pitt and Damson Idris, the chords of Burna Boy’s “Don’t Let Me Drown” fill the screen, a track that quickly became a centerpiece of the soundtrack. One of the creatives behind the pen and vocals is St. Louis native Kevo, whose background voice threads the moment with urgency and soul.
For Kevo, it marks a milestone in a career steadily gaining momentum. Now based in Los Angeles, he has built a reputation as one of music’s most versatile and genre-fluid songwriters. His work blends raw vocal instincts with storytelling that stretches across R&B, pop, Afrobeat, country, and dance.
“I grew up on R&B and rap,” Kevo says. “But I have always wanted to push where my voice could live. Afrohouse, country, and dance all tap into emotion differently. That is what keeps it exciting.”
That approach has led to credits across a wide spectrum of music. He co-wrote “Change Your Mind,” a Burna Boy and Shaboozey collaboration that fused Afro and country sounds. He contributed to “Kryptonite” on Don Toliver’s HARDSTONE PSYCHO, which debuted at number one on Billboard’s Rap Albums chart. He also co produced on Doja Cat’s “OKLOSER,” now certified Platinum by the RIAA.
The path to F1 The Movie began at an Afrobeat writing camp led by Shae Jacobs. It was there that the early framework for “Don’t Let Me Drown” first took shape. “It’s crazy,” Kevo says, “being part of a soundtrack and watching the idea go from a camp to hearing my vocals in a movie theater.”
Kevo’s career continues to expand globally as he has recently returned from sessions in the UK and Korea with more on the horizon.
Now, with a blockbuster soundtrack placement and a growing list of high-profile credits, Kevo is proving himself as one of the most exciting creatives in music today.