() Alt-pop Ethiopian-Sudanese sensation Alemeda serves up the unplugged version of her buzzing debut EP, FK IT, out now via Warner Records and Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE).
She notably stripped down four of the EP's original tracks to their bare essence. The opener, "I already dug your grave," spotlights her dynamic range over palm-muted acoustic guitar. This organic soundscape only emphasizes the grit in her delivery as she proclaims, "It's too late, in my head you're six feet under."
On "I hate your face," the upbeat chords complement the sharp edge in her voice, creating a striking contrast as she channels pure disdain for someone. The song's lighthearted melody clashes with its biting message, making the venom in her delivery hit even harder. Soft strumming seesaws beneath vocal echoes on "Don't Call Me," while "Not Asking For Much" layers a hypnotic hum atop a shaky groove. Her emotion bleeds through this sparse instrumentation as loudly as ever.
Introducing herself as a bold and undeniable force of nature, Alemeda has only just begun to turn heads this year. She first unveiled FK IT last month. Earning widespread acclaim, Rolling Stone profiled her and applauded her "quippy rock bangers," and Billboard exclusively broke the news of her signing. UPROXX attested, "The versatile project is a worthy introduction to Alemeda for newcomers and an exciting look at the future of the formerly hip-hop-centric TDE." Plus, Earmilk hailed Alemeda's COLORS performance of "I already dug your grave" as "a mesmerizing slice of alt-pop," going on to proclaim, "Alemeda is known for creating anthemic genre-defying bangers all about defiance, self-love, discovery, and heartache."
"This EP is the truest expression of who I am right now," Alemeda shares. "It's about letting go of what doesn't serve me and embracing the chaos and beauty of being real, unapologetically."
Stream the EP here and see the tracklisting below:
* Side A: Acoustic
1. I already dug your grave (unplugged)
2. I hate your face (unplugged)
3. Don't Call Me (unplugged)
4. Not Asking For Much (unplugged)
* Side B: Original
1. I already dug your grave
2. I hate your face
3. Don't Call Me
4. Not Asking For Much
[an error occurred while processing this directive]
[an error occurred while processing this directive]