KO AKA KOALA CRYSTALLIZES A WICKEDLY SHARP DIY POP VISION ON CHEF’S KISS

Photo by ko aka koala

Today, ko aka koala — the DIY pop-star who’s shared stages with CharliXCX, 100 gecs, and Troye Sivan — releases her Chef’s Kiss EP with the focus track and a music video for “stoptryingtohavesexwithme.“ The “talented, captivating, beautiful, and extremely creative” (Galore) DIY hyper-pop artist has had her sizable cult following in high anticipation prior to today, with her sly songwriting and “signature twist on ultra-sweet, soft sounds” (PAPER). Listen to Chef’s Kiss HERE.

ko aka koala’s new EP is a crystallization of her refined and wickedly sharp pop vision, and features collaborations with producers Stefan Ponce (Chance the Rapper, Childish Gambino), Shintaro Yasuda (Ariana Grande, TheWeeknd), and more. The LA-based creative stitches together k-pop, techno, and hip-hop while doing her own makeup, photography, and design work — she’s a true emerging DIY icon.

Chef’s Kiss‘ focus track encapsulates the deeper message woven into the fun. In KO’s words; “‘stoptryingtohavesexwithme’ is a very blunt statement. It’s not normally what you would say when you’re rejecting someone, but it is what you’re thinking. I wanted to tell people (and myself) to not be afraid, to be straightforward when turning someone down, and to not feel obligated to water down your sexuality or yourself in order to avoid harassment.”

Watch the music video for “stoptryingtohavesexwithme” here.

Throughout the Chef’s Kiss EP, we get a fully-completed thesis, interwoven with humor and clever cultural references; highly satirical self-awareness that plays into the subversive themes throughout. “Chef’s Kiss,” is a fizzy pile-up of overt, ever-more-absurd sexual innuendos that results in a winking, winning inversion of pop-star hypersexuality. “Mankiller” – a track inspired by Britney Spears’ club-crushing electro era – boasts a towering chorus, a stack of robotic harmonies fit for a femme fatale’s murder montage. “Sorry In Advance;“ has a tongue-in-cheek, “ironically unironic” pop aesthetic. Propelled by DnB breakbeats and candy-colored synths reminiscent of Nicki Minaj circa Pink Friday, it’s a worthy theme song for KO’s unpredictable charms.

ko aka koala has built up a significant cult following (including her 122k Instagram followers) already with her outsized and self-styled aesthetic, sledgehammer hooks, crisp production work, and mischievous approach to pop ingenue sexual tropes. Critics have taken notice: ko aka koala already has fans at PAPER, Untitled (“exploratory, innovative pop music…her honest, experimental songs elate fans”), Hypebae, and more.

Chef’s Kiss EP is out now, buy/stream it here