After a five-year hiatus from new releases, Rainbow Kitten Surprise has officially returned with their latest single, “Dang”. A smooth, woozy track that just begs to be played with the windows down on a humid summer night.
The North Carolina-born band, originally formed in Boone in 2013, has always lived at the crossroads of contradiction. Their sound? A rich stew of indie rock, hip-hop, folk, and soul. Think Frank Ocean meets Modest Mouse by way of the Appalachian mountains. Core members Ela Melo (vocals), Bozzy Keller (guitar), Ethan Goodpaster (guitar), and Jess Haney (drums) bring something unexpected to the table every time. And with “Dang”, that streak continues.
“Dang” is the latest taste after they dropped another single earlier this year. The track hints at the raw honesty and genre-defying boldness. Maybe, we can expect a full project with this single from the website RKS released along with the song? This song has lyrics that feel both personal and performative, like a love letter written on the edge of a napkin in the back of a dive bar.
Sonically, the song skates somewhere between late-night confession and daydreamy dance floor anthem. Melo’s vocals float over a laid-back groove as she sings, “I’ve been working on a project / it’s called you / and I do or die / and I’m grieving love.” There’s a tenderness here, gritty yet graceful, that sets RKS apart in the alt-pop landscape. The chorus swells with the kind of melancholic joy that makes you nostalgic for something that hasn’t happened yet.
True to form, the band still plays with unexpected lyrical references: Mother Mary, barked warnings, and shoutouts to Cage the Elephant weave in and out of the track like coded messages. It’s clever without being inaccessible. Like an inside joke, you’re just beginning to understand.
With over 2 billion streams under their belt and a fanbase as devoted as it is diverse, Rainbow Kitten Surprise is a band that continues to defy convention. This is a group that has taken the messiness of mental health, identity, and love and turned it into something melodic, magnetic, and unforgettable.
It’s hard not to picture “Dang” playing in the background of an indie short film. One with a little too much filter, sure, but also with a lot of heart. “Dang” is available now on all streaming platforms. And if you get the chance to catch RKS live, don’t miss it. You might just find yourself howling along.
