Kimbra | Primal Heart
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Kimbra fell into worldwide recognition after singing on Gotye's Somebody that I Used To Know, and upon moving to New York the New Zealand pop singer used this newfound fame as a stepping stone to push her solo career. Her third studio album narrates this growth into her own stardom, and pushes the parameters of her usually saccharine pop music into rounder productions that stand strongly on a global stage. On Human she sings "I go where I go/I'm a foreigner everywhere I go", words that linger long after the song is over. The album showcases her boldest and most varied work yet, employing the help of music heavyweights Skrillex and Natasha Bedingfield on production and songwriting (Top of the World, Black Sky). From breathy rapping on Top of the World to the flirty pop of Like They Do on TV, she weaves in and out of her strengths while taking risks, as with Recovery, which sonically adopts a British whimsy that is not unlike Lily Allen's. Her voice croaks with heartbreak, dances with joy and takes the listener from introspection to celebration. Primal Heart isn't just her best work yet, but a powerful declaration of Kimbra's hunger for more.