CYBERKISS* LINK: blackstarkids.ffm.to/cyberkiss

BILLBOARD ARTICLE: t.co/yB288EE8PY

PITCHFORK ARTICLE: pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/blackstarkids-sex-appeal

LINK TO SONG AND VID: blackstarkids.ffm.to/sexappeal

NEW MIXTAPE NEXT MONTH, THIS ISNT THE COVER JUST A PROMO POSTER

@baella @FREE @grimes @Ithaka @Beach_kneega @dickerspaniel @Bow_And_Arrow @Vagabonds @Cosmixx @RVI @Flosh yo yo yo

update: cyberkiss song by song

HOW TO SELF DESTRUCT*
For the opener we just knew we wanted to make something that felt instant. Puppies Forever was a time in our lives that was painful for us, which I think caused us to be a bit distracted and that album wasn’t as good as I wanted it to be. So thats why it was important for the opening line to be “Tonight We Let It Go” because this song represented a new beginning for us, new sounds and new outlook. Coming off of my first real heartbreak, I wanted to self destruct and start over and this song is that.

S***APPEAL
This song was inspired by Missy Elliot and Timbaland and also The Neptunes. Just with how simple a lot of their s*** would be, we wanted to make something that felt like a song you would hear in a night club. My verse I flipped some old Jay lines because that era of music is just so nostalgic to me. The music from the early 2000s is what made me want to be a musician as a kid.

PINK STARZ
I was really inspired by the production that Love Below era Andre 3000 was doing when we were making this song. I feel like Outkast production in general always had a chunkier feel than a lot of my other favorites but something about that era of Outkast just had this sort of mystic colorful sound to it. I never fully appreciated Speakerboxx/The Love Below until we started making this project, and I know it will continue to influence the music from here. This was one of the last songs we made and I remember listening to the tape and just wanted to make one that felt like being in space, like if I had a show based in space this would be the theme song.

JOY
Joy from a topic standpoint was an important one for us to make, because I noticed in some discourse around the previous stuff we released people wrote about it like it was black people finally doing something creative, which sucked because I don’t ever want our music to be used to downplay other music white people might not view as “artsy” because all black expression is important and deserves a space, and of course just talking about general racial tensions we experienced growing up. Musically it was very inspired by 13th Floor by Outkast

REJECT MEDIA
The music industry has waged a war on creatives.

CYBERKISS 2 U*
I can’t even say what artist this was directly inspired by but we were listening to lots of Kelis, Jamiroquai, Daft Punk and just enjoying how colorful the music was, on top of that being in New York for the first time and hanging with the kids out there changed our perspective on music completely. Bea being on the song made so much sense too since Bea is the one who brought us to NY for the first time. She’s a real GOAT and a great person, appreciate her 4ever ever.

NUYORK V2
NUYORK V2 was the first song we made for CYBERKISS*. It was inspired by Entergalatic by Kid Cudi and Flashback by Kelis. Also inspired by finding love again after heartbreak,

BOYCOTT
For this song I Get Money by 50 Cent was definitely an original inspiration, one of the first songs I ever loved and the feeling it invokes of being capable of anything. Sonically I can’t pinpoint what inspired it, I’ve always loved the energy of the song Body Snatchers by Radiohead so that’s always an inspiration on any higher energy rock song.

STAR CROSS KIWI FUSION*
Digital World
My Planet
My Home

DO THE RIGHT THING
TRIBE, THANK A TRIBE CALLED QUEST FOREVER. REST IN PEACE PHIFE, THANK U NEW YORK CITY FOREVER. THANK YOU SLUM VILLAGE AS WELL
BONITA, ELECTRIC RELAXATION, FIND A WAY, DIRTY, THELONIUS, THE LOOK OF LOVE.

KEEP ME AROUND
This is one of my favs, makes me feel like a child in the car listening to music with my grandma. Thank you Janet Jackson, a homage to you.

DIGITAL WORLD
Missy and Timbaland again, Pass That Dutch the flows were next level. The call me adlib Gabe sung, i got that melody idea from 911 Beep Me Missy, also that opening flow of Gabe’s verse Pull Up The People MIA. That switch up in Deiondre’s verse was a Daft Punk type sample that we liked but was too overpowering for the whole song so when we figured that drop out we lost it. Amazing moment creating with my friends.

EXPRESS YOURSELF
I wanted to do jazz stuff because of The Love Below Love Hater and My Favorite Things, this interlude was the first one we ever tried and its one of my favorite moments musically we have on the tape. My amazing friend Jarron did the monologue over it and I wanted to have it on the tape because drag is a field of expression black people have excelled and strived in and I wanted to highlight black expression this entire project.

PEACH COBBLER
Blood Orange the god, Dev hynes the god influence of course. I don’t want to overly explain song sentiments but this is one of the songs that makes me love being black, and all my favorite music does that. My friend Logan talking on the song, love them a lot. The synths felt like a lot to me at first during the hook to me at first but Mikey Freedom heart from Blood Orange and Bleachers came to our studio and said he liked it and we should keep all the synths at once because we were trying to pick one that really made me confident in it.

CARDIGAN
Drums we were looking at In Rainbows some of the patterns they were doing on Jigsaw and Weird Fishes just really busy drums, for guitar I wanted something that felt like 90s mtv or something. Weezer Blue early Oasis s***. Touring is something that changed our view a lot and this is the touring song, how touring can make you realize how strong a romantic relationship really is or can make you realize its not gonna work. I got my heartbroken and maybe broke a heart on my first tour and my verse really was my spill on that situation.

1-800-BLACKSTARKIDS
call innnnn

PEACE + LOVE
sunday morning u wake up and gospel is playing, kirk franklin something hype and you have to clean the crib. Wanted to capture some of that feeling as its a vital music experience for a black child especially. Searching for peace always, and much love to my loved ones, everyone whose listening, and especially everybody reading this.

WE CAN TALK FURTHER ABOUT ANY SONG LITERALLY! HERES AN INSPIRATION PLAYLIST FOR THE MIXTAPE: open.spotify.com/playlist/4Wbq2Cr1Do7XWJOVf3Bhdd?si=KXo-4QuUQQy2lLRI1FRgbA

Stream/listen now

Lmk what you think of the album when u can big bro

Word

single was fire, gotta peep the album

BLACKSTARKIDS are back

Hope u enjoy broooo thank you

BOBBY JAMES we hope u enjoy the album is very fly or die inspired

Aesthetic is cool, will check out later

@nosejabs more urban outfitters core for u @FLIZZY

Thanks man really appreciate it, hope u enjoy it

Looking forward to listening fam

This nice af

lmk what u think bro we gone be in yo city this year

Thank you so much that means the world to me man. Lmk what songs u feeling when u can!

In

We need a salute or dap smiley smh but thank you bro

Reasons To Exist

I might just be a s*** the way i’m car hopping

Real nigga spill

which one are you op? So I can make fun of you..

nah jk this s*** a bop

The dude without the long hair

Thank you family

Lmk what u feeling bro!!