On the earth of musical “eras,” few draw fairly as a lot consideration and fanfare because the “villain period.” And that’s precisely the place music artist kenzie—who simply launched the video for her single “sickly candy” and has a brand new album coming proper behind it—is sitting proper now, her catalog taking a darker flip from her earlier work.
Take “sickly candy,” which places the highlight on a poisonous relationship that’s really…kinda…fascinating? It’s sophisticated (and catchy), a combo that bodes effectively for a video full of fireplace appears to be like, smoke, and horror film vibes.
“I have been in lots of poisonous boyfriend conditions the place, you understand, boys cheat on me or are simply horrible boys. And I believe after I first teased the music, everybody was like, ‘Wow, I really relate to this a lot. Like, I like the toxic-ness, I like some leisure in my life, I like the video games,” kenzie tells Cosmopolitan of the challenge. “I wished it to be tremendous relatable and present ladies they’re additionally not alone.”
The singer hopped on a Zoom name with Cosmo to speak about 6 a.m. music video shoots, poisonous exes, horror films, and her newfound musical “villain period.” Try the dialog under, and you’ll want to watch the music video for “sickly candy” when you’re at it.
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The scary film vibes are robust in your “sickly candy” video. It is cinematic in that method. Do you may have a favourite horror film? Is that this your style of selection?
You recognize, it is really loopy, I like scary films however I get scared! However I additionally love being scared. One among my favourite scary films is Get Out. Every thing that Jordan Peele does is simply so wonderful, and it makes you assume actually laborious. I believe that is why I take pleasure in extra of a psychological thriller than a horror.
I virtually anticipated Jason or Freddy to pop up sooner or later, particularly with all of the purple lighting. How did you land on this video idea?
It is really actually loopy how we landed on it. We had been speaking about how we wished to make it slightly darker, as a result of clearly the music is a few poisonous boyfriend scenario. And we really got here up with an idea of fascinated about Hereditary. We used the tree home from the film, as a result of Hereditary clearly is tremendous scary but additionally filmed so fantastically. You are getting scared all the time, however when you really take note of the way it’s filmed, it is so cool. And so I believe we wished to make it a scary film but additionally make it stunning on the similar time.
That steadiness is current. It is a notably darker challenge than a few of your earlier work, too.
I have been having numerous enjoyable with it. I really feel like I’ve simply been experimenting, and getting in a darker realm has been actually enjoyable for me. It has been sort of an alter ego.
“Alter ego” is a enjoyable approach to put it. Instantly what involves thoughts whenever you say that’s an virtually Taylor Swiftian idea of “eras.” What “period” do you see your self in with your personal music proper now, or would you not categorize it fairly that method?
You recognize, I believe with the music that I’ve been making just lately, I’ve positively been extra in my villain period. I believe I’ve merely been in my very a lot daring period. I was so scared to put in writing about actual life conditions or actual life subjects, and I really feel like now it actually is a type of remedy for me. These songs all the time turn into my favourite ones.
Which of your “sickly candy” lyrics resonates with you probably the most?
If I had to select, the refrain of the music was only a actually enjoyable second. Whereas we had been writing it, we had been like, ‘Wow, that is really such a banger.’ The road that claims, “fingers on me, you bought your claws in deep” I believe was my favourite line. As a result of “fingers on me” is normally an excellent factor, nevertheless it additionally generally is a very dangerous factor, which is what we wished to speak about; how there is a poisonous boyfriend scenario, however you sort of love the poisonous facet of it, like when ladies gravitate extra to the dangerous boy than the nice boy.
What was probably the most enjoyable a part of the music video to shoot?
My favourite from the music video was actually after I was in entrance of the hearth, as a result of it was freezing chilly. It was a 6 p.m. to six a.m. shoot, so it was positively very chilly. Any time I bought to be by a heater was my favourite time. However extra actually, I really feel like we had a lot enjoyable regardless that everybody was drained. It is gonna be a core reminiscence.
At some point is a formidable turnaround time. I do know you labored with an all-female crew on this one too; inform me extra about that have.
I’m so large on ladies’s empowerment. I wrote this with 4 ladies, which was simply such an superior room as a result of speaking about this particular scenario, how males will be very poisonous, I really feel prefer it was very becoming. All of us bought to narrate our conditions to the music. I all the time really feel so comfy working with ladies, and it simply feels very empowering as effectively, as a result of I really feel like there are principally males within the songwriting or producer worlds they usually sort of take over that spot. However that is why I take pleasure in working with ladies a lot. Ladies can do precisely what males can do, you understand?
Whenever you’re fascinated about the ladies in your viewers, your listeners, your followers, what are you hoping they take from this music and video particularly?
I actually simply wished it to be relatable. I have been in lots of poisonous boyfriend conditions the place, you understand, boys cheat on me or are simply horrible boys. And I believe after I first teased the music, everybody was like, ‘Wow, I really relate to this a lot. Like, I like the toxic-ness, I like some leisure in my life, I like the video games,’ and so I wished it to be tremendous relatable and present ladies they’re additionally not alone.
Whose music do you relate to? Who evokes you?
My first ever inspiration was Vanessa Hudgens from Excessive College Musical. That was after I was like, ‘Sure, I need to make music,’ and it is so loopy that I am lastly attaining that.
I’ve seemed as much as Sia for therefore a few years. I believe she’s tremendous laborious working and clearly simply an icon. She has such a tremendous coronary heart, and I believe why I actually look as much as her is as a result of in her music, she stepped out of the field. She all the time does issues that aren’t anticipated. Simply having her round as somebody I can look as much as is de facto wonderful.
It is particular to have these folks in your life. Final query: What’s coming subsequent for you? What ought to followers count on?
Rather a lot! Positively much more music. I really feel like I have been placing out far more music than I ever have. I’ve simply been experimenting loads. Lots of people will see a distinct facet of me.
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