Rising 23-year old pop artist Kiiara makes a step in the right direction on her fun, catchy, and highly-relatable new single, “Messy.”  

The first song that comes to mind when hearing the name Kiiara is “Gold”. For some, the gimmicky electro-pop joint is a pleasant memory.  Personally, not so much. The same might be said of another single from this rising pop star, “Whippin”.  Again, not a fan.  Despite her misses IMO, the 23-year old complemented the late Chester Bennington well on Linkin Park hit “Heavy” (another so-so song, but no because of her), and showed promise on her 2017 single, “Wishlist”. All of the above to say, she’s worth checking out, and will be a force to be reckoned with when she strikes real gold.  “Messy” is a step in the right direction by all means.

First and foremost, the production is superb. Noah Conrad gives Kiiara a sleek backdrop to paint over, and she should pay him a fortune for it.  The sound is feel-good, groovy, and minimalist – perfect fuel for this young star.  But, Conrad doesn’t get all the credit as Kiiara shows why she is indeed a rising pop star.  For the most part, she keeps the vocals subtle, but appealing.  She doesn’t need any extra fills – with the bomb backdrop supporting her, she is able to use her personality to guide her.

On the first verse, Kiiara sings about potentially being in a relationship – the sleepovers have progressed significantly.  On the pre-chorus, she sings:

“If there’s a line, then I think that we crossed it

Second time you stay the night

If there’s a cool, then I think that I lost it

And I should take my own advice.”

On the chorus, she urges, “Let’s stop before it gets m-m-m-m-messy.” Hmm, didn’t realize that messy had more than two syllables… The second verse is much like the first, as Kiiara tries to process and gain some perspective on the progression of things.  Generally, the majority of rest of the record repeats what’s already occurred.

Final Thoughts

All in all, “Messy” is a fun and catchy record from Kiiara.  It doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but she sings about a relatable situation. Is it profound? Nah, but does anyone expect profundity from her anyways? That’s a big, fat, rhetorical no.  As stated earlier, a step in the right direction for her.

Kiiara • Messy – Single • Atlantic • Release: 5.11.18

Photo Credit: Atlantic