Words by Vivek Bhadra
Photo by Keira Cullinane
After establishing tracks like Lingerie model, Love you from a distance, & What does
your girlfriend think, the Kentish artist Paige Kennedy brings forth Life in fear. A new
single from their upcoming EP Babylotion.
Kennedy generates music that is consistent and malleable in its own category. From
Lingerie Model’s synth rock to the funky electronic beats of Love you from a distance
and the dance pop of What does your girlfriend think, demonstrate this very quality.
Paige pushes this capability in their new single Life in fear.
“The message of this track is to live free of the perceived judgement of others.
Everyone should be able to dress how they wish and embrace personal growth, but
we often have inner critics in our heads, speaking in the voices of people we have
known.” - Paige Kennedy
Life in fear opens with a chiptune-style synth and electronic beats that work in
combination, resembling a sound akin to that of 90s video games. This develops into
a bouncy backing track as the song progresses. In Life in fear, we embark on a
journey of self-acceptance, growth and working with our imposters. The consistent
dance-pop thumps accompanied by obliquely hopeful vocals that sing “I don’t want
to please who I was dressing for…so I unzip myself and leave me on my bedroom
floor” build a foundation for the chorus. A robotic monotone voice sings the chorus
amid a jittery background; ‘Life in fear… I won’t be living’; an affirmation that
complements this game-like atmosphere of this track. The backwards assembly of
this line is another conscious choice that inserts a darker two-tone meaning,
furthering this other worldly perception that accompanies Life in fear.
When describing Babylotion, Paige expressed “For each artwork or video I’m
performing an essence or character from the song, rather than as myself”. This
entails that there is an element of characterisation to this song. Through a head-
bopping fun technicolour sound and mechanical lyricism, the character in Life in fear
escorts us as we combat our inner critics. The song ends in a triumphant hyper-pop
manner with the chorus upholding how this character won’t live their life in fear. A
melody evocative of Lady Gaga’s track Applause.
Altogether, these characteristics form an inventive single that plays like an 80s
synth-pop anthem and immerses its listener in its game-like structure and
progression. It’s a track for when you need a lift and a bit of dance. An essential
addon in your ‘get ready with me’ playlist.
Live Dates
28 Sept - Leeds - Welcome 2024 Freshers Party - Belgrave Music Hall
5 Oct - Portsmouth - Night Currents Festival (solo performance)
18 Oct - Cardiff - Swn Festival
19 Oct - Rotterdam - Left of the Dial Festival
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