There’s something almost defiant about an artist who refuses to be understood. Not in a mysterious, cultivate-the-mystique kind of way, but genuinely unbothered by whether anyone connects the dots. Kill Kiote just dropped 12 tracks across October in a two-week blitz that feels less like a release strategy and more like someone finally saying what they’ve been holding back.
Between October 5th and 17th, two singles and two EPs hit streaming platforms with zero fanfare. No buildup, no teaser campaign, no carefully timed Instagram countdown. Just music, dropped like someone emptying their pockets before walking through airport security. Take it or leave it.
When asked to describe the music to first-time listeners, Kill Kiote’s answer was two words. “FAFO.” Figure it out or don’t. That pretty much sums up the entire approach here. There’s no TikTok strategy, no algorithm-friendly hooks designed to catch ears in the first three seconds, no polished artist bio explaining the “journey.” The whole thing reads like someone who makes music because the alternative is listening to what everyone else is making.
“I don’t wanna be known and you n*ggas thrive off hate couture. Enjoy the yaps,” Kill Kiote said when asked about connecting with fans. It’s the kind of statement that either resonates immediately or turns people off completely, which might be exactly the point.
What stands out after sitting with these releases is how polished everything sounds. The production on tracks like “I DON’T LIKE YOUR FRIENDS,” “HELEN OF TROY,” and “JESUS WEPT FOR HELL MARY” feels fully formed, not like early work from someone testing the waters. The vocal delivery is confident, the songwriting sharp, the engineering clean. Unless this is an established artist working incognito, it’s hard to square how someone this dialed-in is only now showing up.
The influences span everything from Marilyn Manson and Mindless Self Indulgence to MIA, Kanye, Tyler, The Creator, BTS, Grimes, Bad Bunny, FKA Twigs, Cafune, and Pearly Drops. That range shows up in the music itself. Chaotic, loud, contradictory, and deliberately all over the place.
Kill Kiote isn’t interested in sending a message or inspiring anyone. “I’m a writer, and I am challenging myself to write better than your faves,” the artist explained. It’s competitive, but not in a way that asks for validation. More like someone keeping score on a game only they’re playing.
The recent flood included singles “JESUS WEPT FOR HELL MARY” and “RUN, BILLY, RUN / FAST LANE (610),” plus the EPs TROY’S TRAGEDY and IDLYFS. Twelve songs in thirteen days, all while actively avoiding the usual playbook for breaking new artists. No press photos, no branded content, no identity pushed front and center.
Maybe that’s what makes this interesting. In a music industry obsessed with personal branding and parasocial connection, here’s someone saying the work should speak for itself. Whether it does or not probably matters less to Kill Kiote than whether it matters to anyone else. And honestly, that kind of indifference might be the most honest thing happening in music right now.
Follow Kill Kiote on Instagram, X, and YouTube at @killkiote.
