Feardorian, Osquinn, Dani Kiyoko, Skaiwater, what do all of these artists have in common? To me the ability to and ease with which they mesh the old with the new, in a unique, often awe-inspiring way, is the first thing I see when I see these four names. #mia by Skaiwater came out this past weekend, and has been the latest music release to floor me in a way that happens surprisingly often, and reaffirm how I feel about the music. 

The title stands not just for what seems to be an alternate identity, it is also an anagram forming the phrase ‘manic in america’. Listeners are first informed of the ‘manic in america’ meaning at the very end of the opening track “Pop”, before learning about Mia at the very end of the project on “manicinamerica”- a song entirely about a relationship where this other person Mia disrupts all of these nice things. I like that we don’t learn about any of this until the project is saying goodbye, it’s like a quaint, powerful lore-drop. We learn about Mia through the character’s first person point of view, with lines like, 

“I can’t remember if I told you, but it’s another bitch inside of me,

 I think Mia is my dark side and I think I should let her speak,

I should let her be”.

My favorite line on the song, and maybe the project is also on this one, 

“Can I be your home 

Before I catch my flight

I would fight what’s formed against us

Just to hold you in my bleeding arms”

The other song I wanted to share is what made me want to write this in the first place. I first heard “wolf (feat RADA)” with my headphones on when I was blowing leaves out of the tunnel of the car wash I work at during closing time, and I audibly said to myself “Oh my GOSH” at what I was hearing. Skaiwater and RADA took a song that otherwise sounds like something I’d have had on repeat in middle school in like 2016, and turned it into something so very current and magical. It is so fun, so energetic and everything I’d want from any Skaiwater song. Essentially if you don’t get anything from either of these songs then maybe their music just truly isn’t for you, because to me this is just real music.

Listen To #mia: soundcloud.com/skaiwater/sets/mia-906497933?si=235498de95e243f9a310471d96969f37&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing 

Follow skaiwater: x.com/skaiwater 

Written By Em Bishoff: x.com/emofc_