Tom W Clarke

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New Music Review #5: ‘Y U NO LIKE ME’ by KANADA THE LOOP

KANADA THE LOOP cannot be boxed. That much is clear, just two singles into his burgeoning music career.

‘Y U NO LIKE ME’ is a sparkling, chaotic, genre-erasing musical experience. It’s pop, hip-hop, electronica, and indie music put in a blender, and the sonic smoothie that results is unexpectedly delicious. 

The vivid, technicolour production serves as a wildly impressive (and slightly bewildering) introduction to one of the more unique artists to have popped up in the Aussie scene in recent memory.

His gentle, rambling flow bubbles over with clever turns of phrase (Check the opening lines: “Why these mans always bashing on my fashion, Let me fact check, if I wear a dress I still look dashing”).

There’s a distinct confidence in his willingness to try stuff – it’s profoundly weird, and a bit messy, and the distortion can get downright disorienting, but it all combines into something incredibly endearing.

And that feeling is precisely what’s reflected in the lyrics – the surprising confidence that comes from accepting that maybe you don’t have it all worked out yet, but that’s ok.

KANADA THE LOOP is adventurous, infectious, and super duper fun. I literally have no idea what might come next – how cool is that?

And a few others:

‘Light Year’ by Crooked Colours (feat Masked Wolf and Jasiah): This song just goes… it goes hard. Masked Wolf is one of the most thrilling rappers on the Aussie scene right now. And the rolling beat is smooth yet ominous, dark yet exciting.

‘HEAVY' by Flight Facilities (feat Your Smith): Despite its title, this is a wonderfully light and fluffy cloud of perfect pop-tronica. I literally feel my muscles relax every time I hear this song. 

'Sound The Alarm' by Yung Gwopp:  Hip hop left to soak overnight in a big tub of pop punk. This is a top-tier version of what Machine Gun Kelly was aiming for on that last record.