Earlier in November, Cairene singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Kiiko released ‘Strong Enough’ as the second preview single of his EP ‘Heartbreak Kid’, which showcased a more refined shade of his distinct alternative sound.
On the newly-released EP, Kiiko expands on the introspective themes he demonstrated in the record’s first two singles, delving into the five stages of breakup grief. Across the tracks, Kiiko lays his most intimate emotions for all to witness, reflecting on a love so consuming with deeply personal lyricism and hauntingly melancholic melodies.
His denial towards his heartbreak appears on the opening track ‘Hold Your Own’, where he sings in the second verse, “I will be your friend all over again, so it all doesn’t go to waste.” The analog synth incorporated in the track’s structure adds a nostalgic feel that makes it even more emotional, especially with the looping verse, “I wonder what’s real anymore.” On ‘No Revenge’, depression seeps into Kiiko’s echoey vocals, which ricochet off a sombre musical background and then dissolve into a crescendo of swerving synths and crisp drum patterns. He speaks of his mental exhaustion from trying so hard to salvage a failed relationship, and although his anger is palpable in the pre-chorus, “Spending all these years working on something that doesn’t exist,” he’s resolved to take ‘no revenge’ whatsoever from the culprit of his broken heart.
However, on ‘If It Makes You Feel Better’ Kiiko is in a bargaining stage between his own desires and those of his ex-lover. The track features recurrent transitions between high and low ends with prominent upbeat drum kicks and minor piano notes, sonically encapsulating his tendencies to revisit the high and low moments of his relationship. Conversely, on ‘Relapse’, the album’s outro, Kiiko veers more into a simple intricate production that epitomises warm guitar arrangements, as he navigates his inability to have closure and reach the final stage of acceptance through metaphorical lyrics that paint an analogy of a drug addict tip-toeing around substance, battling with the temptation of relapsing. The six-track EP is emotionally dense and increasingly progressive in instrumentation, further cementing Kiiko’s status as one of the promising talents in the Egyptian alternative music scene.
