indie underrated

Kayla Oh’s new single, Self Defense, is a surefire contender for song of the summer. The latest track from singer-songwriter Kayla Oh, this song is a lush yet heartbreaking ballad about a woman who’s in the grieving stage of a relationship. She uses the verses to justify her decision in leaving, with a chorus of how she knows her ex will try and distort the past, but she is willing to stand tall and defend herself. Artists like Mitski and Jessica Pratt come to mind when listening to this track, and fans will appreciate Kayla’s melancholic lyrics and vocals.

The music video is very vivid and surreal, with lots of abstract imagery. The video really adds to the meaning of the track, with distinct framing and a mix of high quality and VHS-style video. A common motif throughout the video is the shot of Kayla singing with various people surrounding her, dancing around her almost in a ritualistic matter. All in all, a very interesting video which adds a lot of meaning to the song.

You can listen to this song on Spotify here. You can follow Kayla on Instagram here.