Premiere: V. Blackburn celebrates being a fierce woman just like ‘Kim Kardashian’

Kim Kardashian is one of the most controversial figures of popular culture we’ve ever seen. Her lavish upbringing deceives her, as she has proven to be one of the thickest-skinned, most hard-working women in the modern era. Whatever you may have thought about her in the past, her recent endeavors to free low-level offenders is an astounding display of compassion and true pluck ⏤ she has reportedly funded a campaign that has freed 17 individuals in only 90 days. Even so, there are countless detractors equipped with venomous takedowns to destroy the good work she continues to do. It’s stunning, really.

Nashville’s self-prescribed “grit-pop” starlet V Blackburn harvests Kardashian’s public image for a new song, also called “Kim Kardashian,” premiering today. With a vocal texture that slices deep, she slithers over vibrating electric guitars like a true rock goddess before breaking the surface with a deliciously-silky R&B melody line. “Say what you want / My name’s in your mouth / Baby, I’m all that you’re talking about / Just try to keep up with me,” she curls the lyrics, letting them drain out of her before recoiling up for a deadly strike. If you’ve ever need more evidence why Blackburn has stormed stages alongside the likes of Hozier and Ages & Ages, her latest string of volatile mixtures are 100 proof.

On the song, Blackburn writes to B-Sides & Badlands over email, “Kim Kardashian is probably one of the most polarizing public figures out there right now. I think she is absolutely incredible, but I know there are a lot of people who live to tear her down. To consistently go after what you want and be so unabashedly yourself in the face of incessant criticism must be completely exhausting,” she says, “and yet, she does it. In so many ways, this song is a reminder to myself that no matter what, some people just aren’t going to like you or your work. What matters most is if you like yourself.”

Blackburn, originally from Miami, also positions her theatrical tendencies at the forefront of her new music. “Kim Kardashian” is delightfully dark in tone, often echoing from her vocal cords in captivating lightning bolts. Later, in her youth, she studied extensively at a boarding school in New Hampshire, a self-possessed decision that has since fed her deep-rooted instincts. She then took the initiative to head to Berklee College of Music for three years (she also spent ample time at the Valencia Spain campus). “I built the castle, and I made myself queen,” she whispers into your ear, thus cementing her strength and resilience in the face of every kind of storm. She’s a force and won’t be ignored.

“Kim Kardashian” samples Blackburn’s forthcoming new EP, Public Figure, out June 28.

Listen below:

Photo Credit: Libby Danforth

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