by mariah estran
“I just want to inspire people,” says KIM!, the fifteen-year-old rising artist from Indonesia. “I hope that when they listen to this album, they’ll get inspired, get empowered.”
Recently releasing her debut, Cute Little Savage, Vol. 1, she’s tackling the lessons of heartbreak and finding strength in empowering anthems. With help from producer NSG, the pop singer learned how to share her stories. The result became an eleven-track record ranging from silky R&B to feisty, hype-inducing beats.
We spoke with KIM! to learn more about the album. She tells us about her first experience in the studio, finding her inspirations, songwriting, and how music has aided her mental health.
You have just released your debut album Cute Little Savage, Vol.1. The LP takes the listener through stories of heartbreak and moments of empowerment. What was the writing process like when developing these tracks?
KIM!: “I prefer to say mixtape because I made it when I was thirteen. When I was just exploring new things that I liked, making music that I personally liked. The writing process was super fun, and I wrote this whole album with my producer, NSG. Basically, I just told my experiences and what I want to sing about. He made the music and wrote the lyrics because I am still learning how to songwrite.”
This was your first time recording an album! What was that experience like for you? What did you learn along the way?
K: “I honestly learned so much throughout the whole process. I learned how to develop sounds for my voice a lot more and how to story tell for my listeners, just to develop a feeling — it’s amazing.”
You got to work with producer NSG. You two managed to mix this great combo of 80s type vibes, to very pop, to feisty hip-hop. How did you two work to find the sounds you wanted to incorporate in this album?
K: “Both of us like hip-hop. We are just into the same type of music. When I met him, I honestly felt our connection and chemistry right away. I immediately knew he was the person I wanted to work with. Throughout the whole process, I began to learn so much about myself and what music I wanted to make in the future.”
What artists inspired you while mapping out the sounds for this record?
K: “Billie Eilish because when I was thirteen, I was such a big fan of hers. A bit of Dua Lipa, I also love beabadoobee right now. I’m still exploring a lot of genres. It’s really just everyone, honestly.”
Songs like “Take Control” and chant-worthy numbers like “ALL MY GIRLS” display those moments of empowerment that are a huge part of your work. Why is it important to you to make these types of tracks for your listeners?
K: “It was important to me to talk about issues that are happening right now in the world. I feel it's important to empower other women — especially people my age — to be more confident with themselves and love themselves more. In today's world, there’s just too much hate already. I know that teenagers my age are mostly affected by what other people say on the internet. It's harmful. I wanted to spread a message to everyone to just love themselves and support each other.”
Which song on the album would you say is your favorite and why?
K: “From this whole album, I guess my favorite would be ‘Sad Boi.’ It was a special song for me because it is about mental health. It’s about how words can affect a person's feelings. When I wrote this, I wanted people to know it's important to take care of themselves, their own mental health, and not let other people's words get stuck in your head because it is harmful.”
Would you say music is something that helps your mental state and processing these emotions?
K: “Music has helped me with my mental health and how I express myself, my feelings. I grew up with music. I am not the type of person who can express myself very well. I express myself through music. Writing, and always listening, getting inspired by other people's music is what keeps me going.”
Lastly, what do you hope people are learning about you after listening to your debut project?
K: “I just want to inspire people. I hope that when they listen to this album, they’ll get inspired, get empowered. I hope people feel happy when they hear it and like it as much as I do.”