Katie Kate – “Sadie Hawkins” (Stereogum Premiere)

Katie Kate – “Sadie Hawkins” (Stereogum Premiere)

The new song from Seattle singer Kate Finn, aka Katie Kate, “Sadie Hawkins,” has so many wonderful things going on that it could be hard to keep up if it weren’t also such an addictive dose of pop glee. Over her featherlight drum beat and some guitar plucks, the song flows with a carefree simplicity, although it’s not a carefree song. But that quality becomes all the better when parts sneak up on you, especially in the surprise shift to those big synth washes and cheers in the second half. It’s all anchored by Finn the performer, whose voice never needs to move above a soft conversational tone. If you go through her Bandcamp over the years you’ll find she can deliver huge vocals, and can even rap really well, but “Sadie Hawkins” is so joyful that it doesn’t require any showing off. The chorus stands out as one of the funniest and most confident lines you’ll find in a pop song this year: “I’m gonna Sadie Hawkins you, you won’t even know what to do, ’cause I’m gonna Sadie Hawkins you so hard.” That’s the kind of line that can make a career, and here’s hoping we find more of them when her album, Nation, comes out later this year.

Nation will be self-released (with a 60-page book of liner notes) on 8/5. Catch her 7/26 at Capitol Hill Block Party in Seattle with EMA, Angel Olsen and others.

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