Xenia Manasseh Unveils Her Boldest Work Yet with ‘Love/Hate Pt. 2’

The album is the powerful conclusion to a two-part series (Love/Hate Pt. 1 dropped in September 2023) that explores the full spectrum of human emotion, from love and passion to anger and pain. This duality, much like Manasseh herself, reflects her evolving journey both as an artist and an individual.

When she sits down to speak with OkayAfrica, Manasseh’s still in Los Angeles, where she’s been living full-time for the last few months. Despite the city’s hustle and chaos, her life revolves around moments of quiet and focus.

“Most of my time is spent at home or in the studio,” she says.

She explains that balancing two worlds — between Nairobi and LA — has been an essential part of her growth. “Home will always be home,” she says. Nairobi grounds her, offering a sense of familiarity and belonging. Yet, living in LA has given her space for discovery.

“I’ve had so much time to learn who I am when I’m not in a place that feels like home.”

Despite the distance, Manasseh’s Kenyan roots remain at the core of her music. Interestingly, it was while living in L.A. that she began writing more Swahili-infused music.

“I think being so far from home is what brought it out of me,” she says with a laugh.

“Pt. 1 and Pt. 2 were mostly written around the same time,” Manasseh says. But when she listens to the music on Pt. 2, particularly the final track “Phases,” the last song she wrote for the album this year, she feels a noticeable shift.

“There’s a level of understanding in the lyrics now,” she says, reflecting on her newer work in comparison to tracks like “Sober” and “Bad Side,” which were written around 2020. “Before, I was just describing how I felt in the moment. Now, it feels like I have more compassion, not just for myself, but for others too.”

“It feels like I’ve reached a place of acceptance,” she says of the overall album, which features artists like Cracker Mallo, Waye, Ukweli, and Hamzaa.

The cover art for Pt. 2 also reflects Manasseh's personal and artistic growth. Featuring a striking dragon motif, it marks a departure from the more innocent visuals of her earlier work. Manasseh herself has a dragon tattoo, the largest in her collection.

“I’ve always been drawn to dragons. It’s like they embody both my fierceness and my soft, vulnerable side,” she says.

In just a few days, she will return to Kenya. For Manasseh, it’s been a tough few months as the country navigates political and social upheavals.

“It’s been hard watching everything from a distance,” she says. “There’s this constant feeling of, ‘what can I do to help?’”

With family members actively participating in the “Ruto Must Go” protests, Manasseh followed developments on social media and kept informed despite the time difference in LA.

The political unrest back home, however, has done little to disrupt Manasseh’s creative momentum. She’s preparing to travel back to Kenya in a few days, giving her a chance to reconnect and rejuvenate. While Love/Hate Pt. 2 is still fresh, she’s already diving into new music.

“I have about five projects ready to go,” she says. “And I’m constantly writing. There’s so much more to come.”