Listen: Kenzie May – Hide & Seek

R&B-kissed pop’s undeniably strong 2013 just got a whole lot more interesting with the arrival of Boston-born London-dweller Kenzie May.

Previously restricted to guest spots on FTSE’s ‘Float’ and Sub Focus’ ‘Falling Down’, the 19-year-old finally stepped out on her own last week with the impossibly smooth ‘Hide & Seek’.

Pulsating beats, sweeping strings and flitting synth arpeggios provide the ideal canvas for May’s sweet glossy tones to cavort. With a knack for sharp vocal hooks and a self-assured command over the caramelised future pop melody; you certainly wouldn’t consider ‘Hide & Seek’ the work of a rookie. Especially when Kenzie launches into the stratospheric blitz of a chorus; boasting her deeper, more forceful vocal qualities.

Future-pop continues its ascent and while Black Butter’s rising star Lulu James courted our undivided attention in the first half of the year, all eyes are now fixed on Miss May’s next bold step.