Kardboard Kid: “Look At Me” - PREMIERE.
Written by: Twila Grace Cuenca
UK-Based songwriter Jamie Sellers, also known as Kardboard Kid, seeks to shake the music world with the upcoming premiere of his fourth single “Look At Me.” Exploring the depths of electronic music production while staying true to the trap and pop influence of his previous releases, Kardboard Kid delivers the same refreshing prowess as both producer and songwriter through the marriage of organic percussion and electric integrations. From the second the track opens, listeners are sure to be captivated by the repeated hook “I just want somebody that will look at me” accompanied by allegro piano notes and snapping that lacks extensive processing, later to be supported by what sounds like equally-raw water droplets as the track approaches its first verse. We never truly lose these pioneering instruments, even as the production complicates itself with every progression of the track, as they remain an anchor in the presence of a heavy, accenting bass and vocal samples that seem to fade in and out of our ears’ frequency.
These factors are important to note when considering the story behind Sellers’ track, which he recounts: “I remember being at home, sitting on the couch staring at my phone and looked up to see my children playing around me and realised that I hadn’t looked up for almost an hour while they’d been playing around me. It was definitely a bit of a wakeup call, and that’s where the concept came from.” He notes that from this experience, the song became a “social commentary about how much time we spend staring at life through a screen.” The aforementioned organic pioneering instruments, as well as the repeating vocal hook in the breakdown, become symbolic in Sellers’ song as the things that we often lose in the midst of the perversion of social media and electronic distractions. The influence of his children and love for them is evident in the nursery-like melodies of this track and its initial question of “so this is what it’s like to be in love in the 21st century?” found in the first verse.
“Look At Me” is the perfect example of introspective lyricism with the company of catchy, quality musical production that is sure to brighten your Summer. Feel free to give Karboard Kid’s fourth single a listen premiering over here, at TMEB.
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