Adult Swim has, for some time now, a great vector for new music. At least, that’s how it is for me, I guess, because it seems that every time I turn around to check out what’s going on, they’re premiering some new indie artist that I’d never heard of before but inevitably end up liking. AS turned me on to Flying Lotus, Little Dragon, and How to Dress Well. Now, they’re doing it again with this premiere of a brand new music video from hip-hop/indie artist K.Flay titled “FML.” It was created by noted animator and designer Ken Edge, who gave the video a really great trippy aesthetic that absolutely belongs on Adult Swim.
K.Flay’s style reminds me a tiny bit of Grimes with a lot of Lorde and Tove Lo mixed in. She’s definitely got her handles on her lyrics in “FML,” which are at once inspiring and a bit tragic. She sings about how the party lifestyle’s gotten to be too much for her, and while she’s been feeling good about it, she’s starting to see the negatives and the downsides to living so fast and so hard, hence the title. The way she sings about hangovers, texts, and staying up all night (or not) are things that I know I can personally relate to, which allows me to really connect with the song on a personal level. And in some small way, we can all find something of ourselves in “FML,” because after all, I’m sure you could name more than a few instances of your use of that word right off the top of your head, can’t you?
It’s interesting to juxtapose the richness of musical tour life and “living out my dreams every night” as K.Flay says, but as I’m sure you know, too much of a good thing can be bad. “Everything is awesome” can quickly turn into “everything is terrible” just like that, and K.Flay laments just how quickly the fluctuation between the two can happen. Maybe this says a lot about me and my musical tastes, but I always find I have a strong connection to women singing about the downsides to the party lifestyle. Allie Goertz’s Rick and Morty concept album definitely toes that line, and is an album I listen to a lot long after having written it up back in December.
You absolutely should check out the video. There are some images that may be construed as NSFW (y’know, if your boss objects to watching an animated heart dancing around a stripper pole), so be warned ahead of time. It’s definitely got some strong language as well, but you knew that already thanks to the title, didn’t you? As well, give K.Flay’s 2014 album “Life as a Dog” a listen. If you liked “FML,” you may just find some equally resonant tracks in that record, too.
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