Drawing us in with an ethereal synthscape, cosmic ad-libs, emotive strings and a vinyl texture, KimoArts opens Villain with cinematic allure before we experience brooding vocals with the lyrics, “You rehearse the lines in the bathroom mirror, chip at every flaw til the truth gets thinner, you rewrite the nights on my name is bitten, every little cut, carefully written…”
We immediately connect with the poetic prowess that manifests and the narrative of the track, which evolves with the hook, “Go on tell them, show them I am the villain, convince them you are the victim…”. Villain feels super relatable to anyone who has been in this scenario with a narcissist.
There is no doubt that the intelligently written track could land a multitude of sync placements, especially in a show like Love Is Blind, Love Island, Elite, Euphoria, or a movie such as Gone Girl, where parallel themes in relationships come to life so often.
At its core, Villain explores the emotional aftermath of leaving a narc and a toxic relationship. As the elusive KimoArts reveals, the track emerged from a period of sleepless nights, confusion and emotional turmoil.
There is also something intriguing about KimoArts choosing to remain anonymous in an era where an artist’s identity and personal life can become almost as important as the music itself. This decision places the focus firmly on the work and its message. What we do know is that the artist draws on influences ranging from Jacob Banks and Rag’n’Bone Man to Stormzy.
Needless to say, we are intrigued by what KimoArts has in store for us next, and we have added Villain to our New Music Spotlight playlist, and our TIMELESS playlist, whilst we anticipate future instalments from the enigmatic rising artist.