Kiesza, Crave Review

Singer-songwriter Kiesza (Kiesa Rae Ellestad) was raised in Calgary, Canada, and is a former member of the Royal Canadian Navy, a ballet dancer, and a beauty queen, but she has always danced to the beat of her own drum. After exploding onto the music scene in 2014 with “Hideaway” and her 1 million-plus selling, chart-topping Sound of A Woman debut album, Kiesza was recruited to write songs for the likes of Rihanna and Jennifer Hudson, and collaborate with Duran Duran, Skrillex, Pitbull, Diplo and more. Now based in New York, Kiesza continues to prove she is an artist whose extraordinary ambition is matched only by her unusual clarity of imagination and tremendous talent, this former queen of the high seas has spent years plotting a course to the epicenter of pop. After a two-year hiatus following a car crash that left her with a traumatic brain injury, Kiesza released her single, “Sweet Love,” and returned to touring in June of 2019. Now Kiesza is releasing Crave. Crave is the third full studio album by the Canadian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. The collection of new songs is being released independently through her own label, Zebra Spirit Tribe. The new decade marks a promising new beginning for one of the last decade’s biggest breakouts—and this time, she’s doing it her way.

Bottom Line:  Crave features nine tracks and two physical bonus tracks. Kiesa worked with a variety of songwriters and producers on the project. The songs are all well recorded, mixed, and mastered with various instrumentations and guest artists. The pop vibe is filled with many dancefloor beats and is upbeat in nature. “Run Renegade” is an ’80s-inspired synth-pop selection with positive lyrics by Kiesza. Her singing is energetic, and she delivers the melody with character and passion. “Crave” has a slick, funky guitar part, full synth bass, and develops into a dancefloor pleaser. Kiesa’s vocal range is featured in the melody, and she navigates the entire range with ease. “Dance with Your Best Friend” (featuring LICK DROP, Cocanina, and Shan Vincent de Paul) is another upbeat ’80s-inspired track. The guest artist adds to the sounds and makes for a solid ending track. Overall, Crave is a triumphant return for Kiesa, this is the first step in an exciting new chapter in this jubilant artist’s career. That’s the short of it!

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