Alone

An Alice Deejay classic but make it hyper-pop. That was clearly the assignment brief when up-and-coming pop princess, Kim Petras mastered her latest single ‘Alone’, a collaboration with rap heavy-weight, Nicki Minaj. Though I am not usually a fan of interpolated or heavily sampled songs, Petras’ latest release serves only to change my opinion. Ultimately, we cannot slate Kim for utilising a current industry practice to her commercial advantage. Specifically, recent chart data would suggest that sampling 90s and 2000s dance classics seems to equate to attaining the summit. You only have to look at Bebe Rexha’s ‘I’m Good (Blue)’, a sample of the iconic Eiffel 65 track, or David Guetta’s ‘Baby Don’t Hurt Me’, which reached the top 40 after only a week of being available on streaming services, to support such a proposition. Aside from that, melodically, this is one of her strongest ever releases. With an instantly memorable hook and contagiously likeable pre chorus, Petras is well and truly on course to establishing herself at the forefront of pop.

‘Alone’ is also tipped for TikTok virality. Petras originally teased the song back in March and has since found enjoyment in sharing fan lip-synchs to her various social media platforms. Why is this relevant? Well, if post-COVID has taught us anything, it’s that a viral TikTok song generates streams. Fundamentally, I think it is so refreshing to see Petras exhibiting such an awareness of the nature of the twenty-first century industry. If anything, it emits all the qualities of a hard-working and self-aware pop star. What many won’t know is that Petras has been grinding for a very, very long time. After releasing her debut single ‘I Don’t Want It At All’ independently back in 2017, it wasn’t until ‘Unholy’, Petras’ collaboration with fellow queer-icon Sam Smith, topped the charts internationally and subsequently brought the world’s attention to the commerciality of this superstar.

The other hugely exciting element of ‘Alone’ is its sonic versatility. At first listen, the categorically dance-pop intro would deem Nicki an inappropriate feature. However, Petras instantly flips these presuppositions by incorporating delightfully bass-heavy verses which, in turn, provide an audibly familiar platform for Minaj to deliver her quick-fire verse with ease.

Overall, I can see this track reaching the top of the charts and my Spotify wrapped! It’s fun, it’s notable and definitely one for the impending summer months! Five stars!