Brooklyn’s Kevin Holliday put himself on the map with his stellar 2021 EP OMNI that painted Holliday as a flavorful and eccentric artist of note in the increasingly crowded left-of-center pop space. “Expensive Taste” is the first entry into what’s sure to be a busy 2022 for Holliday; showcasing the colorful songwriting and funk-laden production that will make him a household name by year’s end.
What feels like a vintage, bass-happy funk cut from a knowingly retro-reminiscent artist is so much more than one sentence could ever describe. Holliday describes the track as “written from two perspectives. On one hand, trying to impress someone with material things, and going down a wormhole that only gets bigger. On the other hand, getting exactly what you want out of a situation, even if that means hurting someone else’s feelings.” With a simple boots-and-cats drumbeat, subtle synths, and a starring bass performance, the Chasen Smith-produced earworm reverberates the infectious energy of Holliday and highlights his knack for super concise and tightly written hooks. The track is accompanied by a simple visualizer that illustrates the simple narrative points of materiality over love that are driven home in the track.
Holliday has perhaps graduated on from the need for co-signs and is reaching a point in his career to focus on leaning fully into what makes him special. Following the viral success of artists like Terry Presume and Teezo Touchdown in 2021, look for Holliday to meteorically elevate his profile over the course of the coming year.
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