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ZORA Explains
Low-Key: Breaking Down “Insecure’s” Celebration of Slang
Low · Key [ loh — kee ] adj./adv. slang. quiet and restrained; not very forceful, emotional or noticeable; secretly.
Excited about something or someone and don’t want to make a big deal out of it? Want to downplay an event or gathering? Hoping to not draw attention to yourself? Then you’re trying to keep things “low-key” which can mean quiet, restrained, lacking emotion, or secret.
“Low-key” has been in the zeitgeist for a while. It was recently made popular in hip-hop music and has surfaced in casual conversation through social media. The phrase is even spotlighted in the episode titles of the fourth season of Issa Rae’s hit HBO series, Insecure, which premieres Sunday, April 12 at 10 p.m. ET. The show’s episodes are usually titled featuring conversational terms that Black America has popularized like “hella” (which is essentially the opposite of low-key), and “issa” a play on the pronunciation “it’s a” by rapper 21 Savage.
Like most slang terms, low-key can have a variety of meanings depending on context. It can mean surprisingly, as in: “Lawrence was right, low-key. He actually be making sense sometimes.” It can also be used ironically or used to convey irony or humor. Like, “Chad is low-key the most wholesome representation of Black men on Insecure” when we all know in reality Chad is a sarcastic yet loveable, Slurpee-drinking mess.
On the flip side, the antonym “high-key” indicates extreme excitement or anticipation, like how so many fans are high-key impatient for the season premiere of Insecure and it’s easy to see why. The series is a consistent celebration of Black culture, the relationships we have, and the language we speak.
Black people historically create unique cultural moments from fashion to music and even to the words that come out of our mouths. And even when our unique language and style become a normalized part of pop culture (or ostracized in professional settings), it’s important to remember where they come from and to celebrate the ingenuity and magic of Blackness anyway we can.
