KIA – Beat the Blue (2022)
Since we first heard KIA in the touching and beautiful ‘Imperfect’, she has been impressing us with her versatility that went from tender to edgy in ‘Madam$’ and undeniably soulful in ‘Put Your Body On Me’. With her single ‘Beat the Blue’, she is bringing big band to contemporary soul in an effort to chase away the blues that get us all down. Co-written with Lars Hempel, the single is one that shakes the dreary feelings from your limbs and has you refreshed to face the day.
As she gets us shaking off the blues, KIA is reaching for a goal with this track, as she submitted it to the NPR Tiny Desk Competition. In 2015, she wrote a letter to herself with the future goals she wanted to achieve and getting to play NPR Tiny Desk Sessions is the last one needing to be checked off. With her versatility and stunning musicality shining through this single, we are sure she is in for a serious shot at winning.
‘Beat the Blue’ has a wonderfully laid-back, soulful and bluesy feeling in the opening. The light instrumentation tickles at your ears before moving into a toe-tapping big band vibe. The melody is a perfect balance of soul, RnB and the horns of big band. All of this comes together for a smooth and rich injection of easy vibes like that first cup of coffee in the morning. The slick slide of the music has you gently bopping and swaying to the rhythm, while you feel the blues falling from your shoulders. It is a decadent melody for all its lightness, that is extremely addictive. The movement of the sound will have you playing the track again and again.
KIA’s vocals are clear and soulful as she draws you into the really relatable lyrics. Through the opening verse of the single, she touches on the heaviness of the blues that sometimes strike first thing in the morning. As the horns make their way into the melody, she heads to the chorus that starts to lift the veil of the blues from your eyes. The soulful and positive vibes that she brings increase as the single progresses. There is a companionable feeling to her performance like she is a friend who is sharing her thoughts and feelings with you.
KIA lifts the heavy veil of the blues from our senses, while getting you gently swaying to her decadent mix of soul, RnB and big band in ‘Beat the Blue’. The melody has a rather laid-back vibe that provides an easy injection of positive vibes. Her vocals are soulful and addictive, completing a single that you are sure to keep on repeat.
Find out more about KIA on her website, Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.
