Back in 2019, I went down a Spotify rabbithole after I saw Mine by Slayyyter on my Twitter timeline, which led me to Dial Tone, a track by pop artist That Kid (with features from both Slayyyter and hyperpop legend Ayesha Erotica). Since then, I’ve been keeping up with his music—and his hilarious tweets—while replaying his first mixtape Crush constantly.
I reached out to That Kid on Twitter and set up an interview via email to talk about his latest single Cobra, his upcoming second EP, his dream collaborators and all the exciting things that come with releasing a new body of work.
. . .
BRIGID: Congratulations on the release of Cobra! How are you feeling about all of it? The response so far has been amazing, a lot of people are really loving the song!
THAT KID: Thank you! I’m really glad the song is out! I’ve had that song in the vault since like June 2020. I felt like it was a really strong song so I wanted to put it out when it felt right. It’s nice to see that people are enjoying it.
B: How did it feel seeing yourself on the cover of Spotify’s Hyperpop playlist?
TK: It was pretty surreal! I didn’t think I’d ever get to be on a playlist cover. I’m very lucky and feel incredibly grateful.
B: You made an official music video for Cobra, which was great. What was that experience like, since it was your first music video?
TK: It was fun. Everyone on set was really kind and made me feel very comfortable. I don’t love being on camera to be honest, I’m actually a bit shy when it comes to things like that but again everyone made sure I was comfortable. It was also amazing to be able to even do a real video, I did so many webcam videos because that was literally all I could afford and had access to at the time so it was nice to put out something a bit more realized visually.
B: You’re gearing up to release your second project, what can we expect? Is it taking a different direction than Crush (TK1), or are there some similarities in the sound/aesthetic?
TK: I love Crush, it was such a strong mixtape in my opinion but I feel with Comedown it was important for me to really share my story. I think Crush was driven primarily by fantasy and just fun story telling whereas Comedown really has me opening up about a lot of things that shaped my outlook on life. I think Crush and Comedown are actually kind of polar opposites so it’s hard for me to find similarities aside from like my usual autotune abuse but I like that. I don’t want to make the same project over and over. I want every project I do to be very different from the last.
B: Can you tell me a bit about your creative process? I know you’ve talked on social media before about how you make music all the time, what does a typical “session” look like for you?
TK: I really love making music. That’s why I’m making it all the time. Even though it is my job now, it still feels like a hobby for me. When it comes to making the songs, I do a lot of Zoom sessions with producers. I like to be involved with the production and give my input on it. Sometimes I get beat packs from my manager or friends. After I have the beat, I usually just go away and write the song on my own but sometimes I’ll do co-writes with Myylo or Guard. I also have to record on my own, I hate recording in front of people! It’s a little awkward and I can’t get in the zone.
B: When it came to the process of putting together a full project, how did the process differ between Crush and TK2? Were there any differences in your creative process?
TK: I think while making my mixtape Crush, I was still learning, I definitely felt a lot more confident with the tape compared to when I made the singles leading up to it, whereas with this new project I’d like to think I’ve shown growth artistically. I also just spent a little more time on this one, I’ve had these songs for a long time now just because at one point I did have to put it on the back burner for a little bit. I really stand by and love both projects but I just want things to keep improving with each one I create.
B: You’ve collaborated with some pretty awesome artists, like Slayyyter and Ravenna Golden. Who are some of your dream artists to collaborate with?
TK: To be honest I don’t really think about dream collabs. If I had to pick a few people though, probably Doja Cat, Namasenda, ECCO2K, Pinkpantheress, and Lil Nas X.
B: What’s next for you, leading up to your EP release? Another single, another music video? Any big plans in the works?
TK: Well there’s definitely fun content coming! I don’t want to spoil too much. That ruins the surprise! I’m already working on the next project so stay tuned.
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Listen to Cobra here, and stay tuned for That Kid’s new EP Comedown, releasing on October 20th.
