Suburban Rap Queen K.Flay Is the Perfect Soundtrack to Your Twenties

I first heard K.Flay’s “Thicker Than Dust” in a 2014 update video from a fellow Warped Tour performer, Watsky. The addictive beat, K.Flay’s raspy vocals, and the cool girl vibe that radiated throughout the lyrics quickly had me looking up the rest of her music. For me, she’s the female musician I’ve been longing for, as I’ve struggled to identify with female artists like Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, and Adele. K.Flay’s problems, desires, and life lessons feel much more akin to my own upperclassmen college years and post-grad journey.

K.Flay, born Kristine Flaherty and raised in a Chicago suburb, attended Stanford University where a parody rap track launched her interest and love of making music. Today, many laud her as a “suburban rap queen” with a genre-defying sound that pulls together lo-fi pop, hip-hop, and indie elements. Her music and style is an impeccable mix of intelligence, grit, and cool.

She’s an artist you can put on shuffle and not have to worry about pausing a conversation to skip a song that isn’t that great. K.Flay always delivers, and her most recent album, Every Where Is Some Where, offers her distinct sound backing more mature and diverse lyrical topics. It’s her first release after signing to Night Street, an imprint of Interscope run by Imagine Dragons’ lead vocalist.

Every Where Is Some Where features a delicious mix of fast-rapping tracks like “Champagne,” tender songs about her family like “Mean It,” and her trademark catchy tunes eager for radio play like “Blood In the Cut.” Other tracks like “Black Wave” and “The President Has a Sex Tape” seem to speak to the U.S. political climate. K.Flay is at her best when she masterfully weaves the experiences of the high life with the emotions of hard times. She seems keenly aware and adept at speaking to how your twenties can feel both like the best and worst times.

For fans of Watsky and Halsey, K.Flay’s music is the perfect soundtrack to introspective night drives or chill hangouts with friends. You can purchase Every Where Is Some Where here. For more K.Flay, visit her website or follow her on Twitter.

Featured Image: Interscope