McKenna Camille Drops An Honest and Genre-Bending New Single
A very unique pop single from McKenna Camille comes through with a massive and sort of robust honesty, displaying a range of emotions from frustration to sadness, and also some anger. The way she portrays those emotions through this track is absolutely beautifully done, simply because they're so straightforward. There's no getting around it. She does not put any walls up when it comes to creating her music, and this song is a perfect example of exactly that.
The reason I love songs like this is that they're so upfront. This is a song that feels flowing, elegant, lush, and once again, a little frustrated. It's got some very surprising changes around its corners, brilliant production, and it's packed to the brim with character, which is one of the biggest things you end up really holding on to throughout it all.
She is completely relatable in the song is so connective because you really can understand where she's coming from with it.
The song is called "Canary", and it feels like it's a song reaching into some of her own personal history and looking back at situations, wishing things were a little different or that certain things were said.
They say that hiding side is 20/20, and this song kind of reminds you of that. It's a reminder that you go through a lot of different kinds of emotional struggles in life, plenty of the time due to relationships. This is a song that reminds you that it's okay to be angry. It's okay to be sad. It's okay to just be.
Now, this is how I interpreted the song, and while others may interpret it differently, depending on who's listening, I loved how she articulated everything lyrically.
Some of the surprises are right at the beginning of the song, which is actually part of the hook and chorus of the single, and I can't say I've heard anything quite like it before.
She's kind of angry, and such a beautiful way. It's gracefully potent.
The song has a vast and ambient undertone, with synth pads flowing through its backbone, an indie-pop overtone, and gorgeous vocals that are almost whispering at times, while at other times giving you a boisterous tone.
She really feels the energy and lets that fluctuate throughout the course of the track.
As the song unfolds, things begin to change, and it starts growing in intensity; other keys, like organs, start feeling extra space it starts leading into a bit of a climactic point
Suddenly, a beat kicks in. It's a straightforward beat, but it's very driving, and it cuts through everything.
This is joined by vocals affected with a vocoder, giving the song this bigger, edgier pop overtone.
Then it all comes in full throttle. The energy is high, the song is punchy, and it makes sense because although all the synth pads are still floating in the background, everything has that sort of aggressive tonality now.
So, she actually built the song so that the instrumentation follows suit in terms of some of that aggressive or frustrating undertone that it delivers through its sentiment.
I love an artist who really knows how to display emotion through the instruments of a song, along with those lyrics.
By the end, it's almost like a hyper-pop type of single with glitchy effects all over the place, super fun and polished pop power everywhere, and it just has a certain sort of brightness shining through that almost alternative edge.
The cool element about this is just how it changes. The way it builds up to something and ends in a completely different headspace and soundscape than it begins with.
This showcases a lot of attention to detail and planning in terms of arrangement.
I would definitely check this out because it's a bit different, outside the box, but still has all these familiarities and loads of that honesty just hitting you in the face the whole time.
I absolutely adored how much personality was laced into this track. It's more than you would normally get because of how blunt she can be on it. She's very unafraid, and that speaks volumes for her.
After listening to the song, I absolutely needed to know where it came from, so I decided to speak with McKenna so I could dig in a little more.
While you check this song out, read through our interview with McKenna Camille below, and whatever you do, don't miss out on this track.
Where did this track come from and what is it about?
"Canary" is about a real falling out I had with a very close friend of mine. It’s about the conflicting feelings of wanting to talk to that friend and wanting to scream at them.
I am hearing several approaches to this song! Who are some of your biggest musical influences?
For this song I tapped into the hyper pop space often and also took some inspo from Billie Eilish as well
How did this all start for you as an artist?
Hannah Montana will forever be my first inspiration.
Do you perform live?
Yes! I have a show coming up at NYFW as well as one in Coachella Valley on Halloweekend.
Was this recorded at a bigger studio, or a home DAW setup?
This was recorded at Everything Studios in Burbank CA.
Was it self produced?
No
Are you working on new material right now?
Yes! So many new projects are coming up for me.
What would you say people can expect from this release?
To dance and scream around their room.
What kind of advice would you have for other up and coming artists out there?
Try new things and do what feels right, especially if it’s scary!
Before we go, what would you like to express to fans of the music?
Dance in your room more!
Canary - Single by McKenna Camille | Spotify
McKenna Camille | the water skiing pop star
