Right now K.Flay is one of a kind, an artist blurring rock, dance music, hip hop, grunge, and whatever else she pleases. For her trouble, that hard-to-define-ness has now earned her a couple of Grammy credits and tickets to a few of the world’s biggest stages.
Thousands and thousands are already on the bandwagon, but just in case you aren’t, here’s everything you need to catch up on before K.Flay’s new album Solutions drops next week.
Grunge, hip hop, pop, whatever. It’s high time you met K.Flay, the shapeshifting artist readying the world for her third LP Solutions.
K.Flay’s roots are undoubtedly in hip hop, inspired by the likes of Missy Elliot, Ms. Lauryn Hill, and a few other key rappers without dicks. Aspiring to kick the genre out of its male-dominated, formulaic rut, she took to the airwaves with a refreshingly energetic take.
From her genesis in the noughties up until her debut album Life as a Dog in 2014, K.Flay kept changing it up and experimenting with new, ragged sounds. This included the lively 2012 EP Eyes Shut, recorded with Liam Howlett of The Prodigy.
Despite such a strong start in the local scene, that debut album was undoubtedly when K.Flay started making noise on the world stage. Life as a Dog made an incredible debut, her most genre-bent work yet, from the euphoric dance beats of Can’t Sleep to the deranged pop feel of Make Me Fade.
The K.Flay train had kicked into gear, and the momentum hasn’t stopped to this day. Her next album Ever Where Is Some Where heralded the massive single Blood In The Cut, a Grammy winner for Best Rock Performance (despite the album’s apparent ‘alternative hip hop’ label).
Attempting to pin down what makes K.Flay so attractive to fans is like trying to label her music; usually fruitless, but a fun activity nonetheless. It would be simpler to state that her willingness to overstep so many conventions and labels is exactly what makes her appeal to so many.
But those fans, no matter which K.Flay they love the most, are still hungry. The next album, Solutions, comes out next week, preceded by four singles which are kicking some serious goals. Sonically the new songs hold some meaty synths up front, as pop-savvy and in-your-face as ever.
The album, in the artist’s own words, is about finding a balance based on doing the things you love, rather than trying to tip the scales back to wellness from a darker place. When announcing Solutions to the world, she shared:
“So many of my past records were about problems. Right now I’m in a place where I’m looking for some light. Balance is important. Life doesn’t have to be chaotic in order to be meaningful.”
Aussie fans of K.Flay will also be able to catch her live on an upcoming tour, hitting Splendour In The Grass as well as headline shows in Sydney and Melbourne. Check out the dates below:
Touring
Thu 17 July – Oxford Arts Factory, Sydney
Fri 18 July – Howler, Melbourne
Sat 19 July – Splendour In The Grass, Byron Bay
Solutions is out July 12. Pre-order your copy here.
