Album Review: AMERICAN GURL by Kilo Kish

By Derek Torres

Music Journalist

Kilo Kish’s AMERICAN GURL comes six years after her sophomore album Reflections in Real Time. During that time, she released several EPs, received credits for Childish Gambino’s Because the Internet and a feature on a Gorillaz album. Kilo Kish falls under the umbrella of art pop and experimental hip hop, all while retaining her style and elevating her sound from previous recordings to fit into an arcade cabinet storyline experimenting further with what she has produced. Kilo Kish captures the essence of the electronic sound and spins it with a narrative for AMERICAN GURL.

Coming in at 14 tracks, it is a short 39-minute listen for on-the-go or a sit-down to digest. Several artists such as Miguel, Vince Staples, Jean Dawson and Jesse Boykins III are featured. Kilo Kish revealed in an Instagram post her dedication to finishing this project since 2019, postponing production due to the pandemic and the loss of co-producer J. Scott. “Rebuilt a team, rebuilt myself, and it’s finally coming out. This project represents a lot of change for me,” Kilo Kish said. AMERICAN GURL draws inspiration from Björk, Deftones, The Streets and several other artists, but especially Gnarls Barkley’s St. Elsewhere; utilizing all as a reflection of her inspiration.

The title track was released as a single along with a music video, which combined elements of a natural desert background and futuristic set elements to create the feeling of an uncertain future. Kilo Kish’s lyrics and instrumental emphasize unclear questions, running from the unrecognized only to succumb to change in her world. It provides a solid teaser of social commentary with an electronic atmosphere surrounding the songs.

Dissecting the album itself, beginning with the 30-second opening track sets up the retro 8-bit undertone and forgotten arcade theme. Following, tracks such as “ON THE OUTSIDE (JUSTIN’S SONG)” and “BLOODY FUTURE” highlight Kilo Kish’s experimental side and the edge of her lyrics complements the backing music. Though pushing the boundaries of pop, some songs that go straight for pop end up falling short. “SUPER KO LOVE” is one song that does not keep up with the rest of the tracks, following a simple formula of upbeat pop and recycled rhythm heard earlier on in previous tracks. The last track loops the listeners back to the beginning, plays on the game over a bit and closes out the journey Kilo Kish crafted.

Overall, Kilo Kish displayed her musical evolution from her last big project and took chances in the delivery of her songs. Kilo Kish’s simple choices such as adding short byte sequences to songs like “ATTENTION POLITICIAN,” which is one of my favorite tracks, connected to the gaming level fantasy. Despite the drawback of the pure pop direction, Kilo Kish has produced a solid returning album for fans.

I recommend a listen, stream or download of AMERICAN GURL! Turn on that arcade cabinet and enter the levels Kilo Kish has to offer.