Review Summary: What millennials' dreams are made of.
I first discovered Kiiara while browsing Chester Bennington tribute videos on Youtube shortly after his death. As emotional as her tribute was in the video I found, she was wearing a tight unitard without pants that revealed the entirety of her legs, and I could not help but feel that I may like some of her music. I went to her Spotify, saw that she had not yet released an album, then scrolled through several singles before finding
low kii savage, which appeared to be her sole EP. What I was met with was a dreamy piece of electropop that captures a "millennial" vibe of striving to feel alive in a world that seems overwhelming, unpromising.
Of the six tracks that comprise
low kii savage, three of them (
Gold,
Intention,
Say Anymore) are up-tempo enough to pass as club music, while the other three (
Feels,
Tennessee,
Hang Up Tha Phone) venture into more spacey and relaxed territory. While many of the common tropes of modern pop music are used throughout the EP – such as beats marked by a finger-snapping and/or woodblock sound, and individual vocal lines with heavy reverb – I would argue that they are used here more effectively than most. These sounds create a dark and ethereal atmosphere that complements Kiiara's moody yet soothing vocals. The lyrical themes on the EP include partying and clubbing, unreciprocated feelings toward a love interest, and coming into fame from obscurity, all of which are delivered in a manner that simultaneously conveys hope and hopelessness.
Kiiara, who was only 20 years old at the time of
low kii savage's release, had previously been working as a hardware store clerk before signing a deal with Atlantic Records. This transition from a modest life into the scary yet exciting world of fame, especially right at the beginning of adulthood, is the driving force of this EP. Clocking in at 21 minutes,
low kii savage serves as a hopeful slice of potential for a follow-up EP or album, and leaves me interested to see how Kiiara will mature musically as she gets older, and becomes more accustomed to fame. A mostly chill and calming listen, I still find this EP to be quite savage…lowkey, though.
