Following on from last year’s big, impassioned single, Never Loved Somebody, US musician Kylie Rothfield is back with her new single, Temporary. Where Never Loved Somebody was an epic slice of emotive pop, Temporary is a more muted and understated affair.
Opening with clipped percussion and a Hooky-esque New Order bass line, Temporary shimmers with a series of close cinematic synth tones that underline Rothfield’s (once again) beautiful, crisp and glassy vocal. The song’s bruising lyrics pair with a streamlined, restrained production, the streamlined and detached sound reflecting Rothfield’s own disassociation from her situation and emotional state. As she sings the song’s chorus, it’s clear that this is a song about opting to stay in a situation where you are knowingly hurting yourself in an attempt to put off future, inevitable, pain:
“I blocked your phone on Saturday,
I keep on calling anyway,
We’re always acting like it’s not…
Temporary”
Temporary was written and produced by Kylie, alongside queer indie alt-pop artist Mothé, and takes inspiration from the likes of The Strokes and The Cure. Check it out below, and look out for Kylie Rothfield’s debut album, due in sprint 2025: