Katy B "Danger" EP Review
Katy B "Aaliyah" - Listen Here
Excluding a collaboration with Mark Ronson for a fizzy drinks jingle earlier this year, âDangerâ is the first we have heard of Katy B in 2012, so it is only right that she made this one big.
Iâm all for a bit of honesty, so Iâm going to leave myself open for scrutiny here. I didnât use to be much of a fan of Katy Bâs. I found her tracks pretentious, with her 2011, Mercury nominated debut âOn a missionâ incorporating dubstep beats that for me, died in â09. However I could sense her potential; a sound that could flow between the loosely distinguished UK bass scene and back again, hitting the charts on the way up. Never the less I stuck with the curly haired temptress and alas, the âDangerâ EP has proved to me that I know nothing about music and how wrong I was to dismiss Katy back in 2011.
âDangerâ opens with a track entitled âAaliyahâ a supposedly loose homage to the late 2001 R&B icon. Katy B pays tribute to the forgotten star with lyrics such as âAaliyah please, this is green envy, why must you taunt me girlâ. Lay this over a house/funk/90âs esque beat injected into the track by none other than Geenus, station gaffer at Londonâs Rinse Fm, and you end up with something more underground, and for me, incredibly appealing. Having collaborated with the likes of renowned artist SBTRKT, up and coming artist Jessie Ware adds flair to Katy Bâs vocals, producing harmonies that fit like a glove, a beautiful, musical glove with treble clefs and bass oozing from its fingertips. I like this first track, alot. Can you tell ?
With another song comes another collaboration, this time with 20 year old Montreal house producer, Jacques Greene. Second track âDangerâ is so stripped back, itâs pretty much naked. A good naked though, donât get me wrong. The bare simplicity of this song is what got me, and infact it somewhat channels a Rihanna vibe, especially as Katy hits the harmonised chorus, singing âDanger, dangerâ. Katy B writes lyrics in this that are incredibly open to interpretation. For example, at first glance, it seems as if Peckhams finest is singing about her love for a marijuana smoking wannabe, who seems to be smoking a joint whilst in the middle of a domestic. Who knows ? Like I said at the start, I know nothing about music. I like this track, donât get me wrong, but Iâm not falling head over heels for it. At times I think the chosen pitching of vocals is a little obscure, and something else could of maybe helped the track to flow smoother, but overall I like it. As good songs go, itâs pretty decent.
âGot paidâ introduces itself as the third track on the EP, with Zinc and Wiley getting in on the mix. Another collaboration I hear you say? It seems to me as if Katy B is making an extremely clever habit out of this. From the offset I could tell that this track involved Wiley in some way or another. The opening 10 seconds scream âHeatwaveâ, but better, dare I say it. Strip it back and the beat solely reflects DJ Zincs drum and bass/breakstep nature, and having worked with Katy before, itâs no surprise that this London based DJ jumped at the chance to be involved in this EP. Katy sings about being paid on a Friday night, âSo grab your coat, weâre gonna hit the townâ. Donât get scared though, this song isnât a repeat of what we heard on Rebecca Blackâs âFridayâ. Team a simple, but developed idea with a cool stop motion video shot by Emile Rafael, and youâve got yet another strong track to support this EP.
Last but definitely not least is the American and Australian infused âLight as a featherâ. With Philadelphia based DJ, Diplo as the backbone on this project, a âPon de floorâ vibe is one welcomed with open arms from the man behind collective âMajor Lazerâ. This song just makes me want to dance, it really does. Its fresh, itâs clean, itâs urban, and itâs well produced. Thereâs a point in this track where Katy B hits falsetto, singing âare you feeling light as a featherâ. I first heard this and thought wow. I listened to it again and thought it was even better than when I first heard it, and well the third time? You can kind of sense where this is going. Katy B also invites Iggy Azalea onto this track, and to be honest I think I would of preferred it if she hadnât. I mean come on, who releases a tune called âPU$$Yâ and expects to get away with it? Australian born rapper/model sounds too much like a wannabe Nikki Minaj, but apart from that, I like this song, alot.
 Overall I think Katy B done good. Springing a surprise release on us in this dead December market was extremely worth her while, and something thatâs going to tide her diehard fans over till 2013. I stand corrected in my opinion of the UKâs most up and coming, and I really look forward to anything that sheâs going to give us next year. Katy, if youâre reading this, just no more female rappers, they cringe me out slightly, cheers.Â