Reclaiming power and vulnerability
Single of the Week: “Kim” by Tkay Maidza & Yung Baby Tate – 4/5
Having not released new music since 2018, Tkay Maidza came out with Yung Baby Tate and surprised everyone with this incredible new single titled “Kim.”
The Australian and American artists truly explored the symbolism of women as powerful, fierce entities here to claim their sexuality through the exploration of all the notable Kims of our culture – Kim Possible, Kim Kardashian and Lil’ Kim.
This song refers to the character of Kim Possible with the goal of showing the impact Kim had on Maidza’s childhood. Quoted in several newspapers and interviews, Maidza stated she wanted to “make a song to remind those who question her that she will always figure it out.”
It is unquestionable that with this new single, Tkay Maidza and Yung Baby Tate deserve to come out on top.
Album of the Week: Collapsed in Sunbeams by Arlo Parks – 5/5
The 20-year-old singer breaks the ice with a poem, following up with a collection of emotions across the album. Parks’ poetry makes you feel as if you’re sitting on a board in the middle of the ocean while staring out into the horizon.
Collapsed in Sunbeams allows Parks to open up a more vulnerable side of us. Her indie-folk album allows listeners to feel heard, even if we’re not talking to anyone and are simply lying in bed, listening to this masterpiece.
“We’re all learning to trust our bodies, making peace with our own distortions, you shouldn’t be afraid to cry in front of me. I promise.”
The British singer-songwriter evokes feelings of vulnerability, beauty, melancholy and a certain childlike nostalgia to her songs. For a month like February, these songs are perfect to stay warm and feel a little less alone in times of seasonal depression.
A new-to-us discovery: Dominique Fils-Aimé
A personal favourite discovery of mine this past week has been Dominique Fils-Aimé. The Montreal-born singer-songwriter has one of the most beautiful voices; the soul and jazz artist was a semi-finalist on The Voice Québec and if she went back today, in my opinion, she would win.
Fils-Aimé’s music is a small trip to the discovery of self. On one end, she asks to break the barriers for men to allow themselves to open up and cry, while on the other, she brings a childlike beauty to falling within a new relationship.
Fils-Aimé’s music can be seen and understood as a gradual release of emotions, notably in her album Stay Tuned, in which she features titles such as “Big Man Do Cry,” “Some Body” and “Free Dom.”
“From the beginning, I realized that I was not satisfied with (what) we could find in books when it came to Black history,” said Fils-Aimé to the Toronto Star.
“All the information I didn’t necessarily learn in school was trapped in another format. It’s as if the emotional history is trapped in music. Every one of these albums came out during February, and it was to underline the connection with the music and the musical genres that we are kind of paying tribute to in a way.”
“I think as long as people are opening their mind, stepping into this month willing to discover, learn or celebrate something, the goal has been achieved.”
