Kanina : Heist Costs Money
Part of Semarang hip-hop/R&B collective HILL, singer-songwriter Kanina unleashes a new array of tracks on her newest album, Ode To All Odds. With honest lyricism that deals with depression, anxiety and sexual identity, Kanina’s latest puts herself in the spotlight with its powerful songs of the modern world full of hard-hitting lyrics and tight atmospheric instrumentals.
With hints of influences from alternative indie rock acts such as Mitski and R&B the likes of Erykah Badu, her unique vocal delivery sets itself apart from her fellow peers. As she infuses her questions from therapy into her music, here’s an intimate and personal quality to it – as if she is confiding in her listeners on her struggles and internal conflicts. A personal highlight is the cleverly-titled Heists Cost Money (cause when you think about it, it really does, doesn’t it?). Starting with a piano piece that slowly builds up to a roaring finish, the song finds itself completed with ethereal synths, hard-hitting drums and heavy guitars. Lyrically, the song is a self-reflection on one’s inner struggles with their emotions and anxieties, her observations delivered through a chorus poetic yet brutal: “Biting my own teeth, bleeding to breathe / Living on loop of trials to recoup”.
Eventually, the subject of the track’s title is made clearer. “So about life that could’ve happened, when did you go wrong? / When did you slip away?,” Kanina woefully sings in the interlude. As proverbs go, you can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs – in order to complete a task or meet a goal, unpleasant things may sometimes be unavoidable. Even when committing a heist, you might need to spend some cash to steal some.
But what if the unpleasant act was acted upon you by a person trying to reach their goals? Or what if you’re the heist in question? You might feel cheated, as if something was stolen from you – in this case, a life that the narrator could’ve had. Kanina mirrors these questions with the songs’ ending. Posing a set of psychological questions to the listener, she metaphorically connects the track’s theme with its title – a life akin to her own crimes and heists. A release offering some great insight on Kanina’s psyche – recommended!