Karin Ann's "she" is as dazzling as it is dazing

"I don't dive deep into the details of my songs; I enjoy letting people discover their own meanings and relate them to their own lives,” explains Karin Ann. Whilst not necessarily making music writers having to prepare track reviews jump for joy, so sets the scene of an enigmatic, electric new alt-pop voice rising from the thickets. Clearing the floor and setting her tracks as puzzles of sorts, she encourages listeners to connect with, examine, and ultimately have fun with her music.

Creating sonic worlds of intrigue and mystique as dazzling as they are dazing, Karin Ann frequently weaves themes of gender inequality, mental health struggle, and human rights advocacy into these soundscapes. They also become a vehicle for her exploration of her own, at times clashing, queer and Slovakian identities. As such, the 21 year old's music becomes a concentrated coming of age exclamation.

Latest offering "she" is a potent electric guitar-led thumper, expansive and expensive in its arrangement. With rhythmic arpeggios laying backing to a gentle vocal, the track portrays the liberation in letting go of societal expectations and feeling the affirming rush of being the only people dancing, even after the music may have stopped. It does this by centring on a mysterious, esoteric every-woman character who purses authenticity over acceptance.

Providing some background to the track's making, Karin Ann offers "my struggle with insomnia often leads me to write during sleepless nights. One night, browsing through my phone notes, I stumbled upon a sentence that sparked inspiration. Most of my songs lean towards the sad or melancholic, but this particular lyric was different. I find it challenging to write happy songs, so it felt like creating this character allowed me the freedom to explore new territories with ‘she.’" Indeed, there is a free spirit imbued within "she" that glints with every thrum of the guitar and curling lyrical delivery.

Even if expressed through melodramatic mediums in her music, Karin Ann presents a beautifully true-to-life picture of young queer individuals trying to find their footing in the eyes of the world whilst also forwarding their individualistic self-acceptance. With more to come in 2024, she's proving to be the exact voice of the zeitgeist.