Written by Imani Wj Wright
Wait a second. Am I listening to a song or eavesdropping on a couple having a serious disagreement? After listening to Kai Straw's single, Enemy, you may ask yourself that same question.
Straw does a standout job of expressing anguish and disappointment towards his love interest (or ex-love interest). The feeling here is so personal. You can hear in Starw's voice that he is struggling outwardly and within himself. The opening lines come upon the listener quickly, as if Straw has been waiting to get these sentiments off his chest. "I don't regret it, that's a weak emotion. But when I think of you, I weaken so much." He sings. While this is occurring, the track is incredibly stripped back and mellow, very fitting for the mood. Soom after, A slight hand percussion begins to subtly make its way into the mix as Straw progresses.
I can not stress how well of a job Straw does with leaving everything on the table. The vocal cadences he uses are not common practice, and would most likely not please "music purist." But- it exemplifies how rattled he is. Truly, he sings in a way that can be felt beyond music, just as things don't seem to make complete sense when we're hurt, Straw displays that inside of his cadences.
This is an overall solid piece of art from Kai Straw.
Take a listen:
https://open.spotify.com/track/65II7NFnz2mjfaCEKeJEux?si=Q1QkOq-MQ-S9lrLhKyQ-pw
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