She’s had a pretty smashing year, has Kiesza. A UK number one single with ‘Hideaway’, promptly followed by a second successive top five result with ‘Giant In My Heart’. She was chosen as the face of Fendi’s eyewear range for 2014, and has been working on material for other artists as well as her own, for stars as massive as Rihanna. Impressive.
Next up in terms of the Canada-born singer’s own solo career is a new single, ‘No Enemiesz’ (clothes-shedding video below), released on November 24th, and a new album: ‘Sound Of A Woman’ appears in UK stores on December 1st.
Ahead of an appearance at London’s Brixton Electric tomorrow – that’s November 18th for calendar nuts (info here, but it’s sold out) – Kiesza kindly sat down with some singles out this week to lay down some opinions for Clash. Thanks, Kiesza!
(That isn’t actually how you spell “enemies” though. But never mind.)
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Slow Club – ‘Everything Is New’
“The male voice here is absolutely beautiful. It’s raw and almost haunting. It’s something I would listen to when I want to just lay back and relax. I love the vibe.”
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Ty Segall – ‘The Singer’
“Very retro. I hear a bit of a Nirvana influence in his music, which I like. It’s a pretty cool song and was the first time I actually really sat down and got into Ty Segall.”
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Childish Gambino – ‘Telegraph Ave.’
“I really got into this one. It’s a very touching song and made me want to know Childish Gambino more. From what I gather from the lyrics, it sounds like he’s torn about a past relationship with a girl, who at that moment had more control over his feelings than he did himself. After being given the chance to see her again, he is driving as fast as he can to get to her. It really sounds like this girl sums up his whole experience of Oakland. This girl seems very important to him… someone he was even willing ‘for the moment’ to consider the idea of settling down with. It’s a very strong story and I guess it really touched me, because I feel like I’ve been in a similar position with someone in the past.”
(What, no mention of how Resident Evil this all gets at the end of the video?)
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Neil Young – ‘Who’s Gonna Stand Up’
“I love the message of this song. So many of the current crises that the world faces are too easily forgotten, when they’re no longer the latest headline. I’m glad he’s making an effort to keep raising awareness and stimulate action.”
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Mary J Blige – ‘Right Now’
“Sheeeeeeee's back! Mary J Blige, collaborating with (co-writers) Disclosure and Sam Smith… how could that go wrong? I love it.”
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Related: Kiesza interviewed on Clash
Photography: Renee Cox
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