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Photo: Azeez Alshammari

Though summer is still on the horizon, look no further than kxvg's newest EP cloudburst* for a handful of tracks that are certain to make your summertime rotation. You may recognize the LA singer/rapper from the few singles he's dropped so far this year - catching the attention of outlets like ours, Fashionably Early, Sheesh Media, and more. Inspired by themes of youth, discovery, love, and loss, kxvg returns to fans this week with his newest collection of futuristic bangers that effortlessly synthesize his unique repertoire of creative brilliance.  

If this is your first time listening to a kxvg project, you're in for a treat. Manipulating elements from genres like electronic, hip-hop, pop, and R&B into his signature forward-thinking style, kxvg delivers fans a sentimental yet high-energy collection of tracks on his latest offering. The entirety of cloudburst* is self-produced, despite its tracks careening between cinematic experimental distortion and alternative hip-hop ear candy at a moment's notice. Even when you think you have kxvg boxed in, he takes another creative left turn, often leaving small conceptual crumbs behind for the listener to interpret.

In the wake of singles like "Titania," "Gasoline," and "Heterochromia," this time around sees kxvg hold nothing back. From his most polished moments of deliberate composition to kxvg's hectic flashes of genre-pushing risk-taking, there is something to love in every corner of cloudburst*. Though tracks like "isekai" and "fox hills" are much more poised and pictorial, cuts like "swang / midnight club" and "german shepherd" are free-flowing, cleverly written, and bursting at the seams with vulnerable energy.  

Ruminating on the pain and disillusion of growing up, kxvg presents listeners with a hero who has faced his fair share of adversity. Now on the other end, the lessons he is left with have left him sometimes doe-eyed and optimistic, other times jaded and reclusive. Though the future is uncertain, kxvg is dead set on moving forward without forgetting the memories that made him.

With more content like music and visuals constantly coming down the pipeline, there has never been a better time to become a kxvg fan. After a long wait, his newest EP cloudburst* lives up to it's name, offering fans a short but meaningful burst of an artistic vision unlike anyone else's. From its aural register to its composition and narrative, kxvg has once again delivered a project that is just as deep as it is understated.  

Listen to cloudburst* below: