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“Open” – Grace Kay | Review

Known for drawing thoughtful songwriting inspiration from the influential women in her life, indie pop songstress Grace Kay has officially released her new electrifying single, “Open.” The release is no exception to the artist’s signature finesse, arranging her poetic lyrics and airy vocal complexion in cadence with inspirational metaphors gleaned from her most impactful female influences. Having spent her teenage years at an all-girls high school, Kay’s keen desire to empower women has had a drastic effect on her lyricism style.


Kay’s motivation to create “Open” comes straight from the heart. “I started writing this song to encourage a close friend of mine to be more open to life experiences like travel, trying new careers, and just giving herself a chance… at life,” she explained. The essence of the track is reflected in its delicately cheerful melodies, textured vocals, and “other-worldly pads atop a syncopated percussion.” From the first invigorating synth-pop note, “Open” is just that… an unreserved, unobstructed glimpse into just one story of the commanding power of women.


“The beautiful thing about this song is before I even finished writing it, she [my close friend] accomplished what I’d hoped for her and more. She had already been accepted into graduate school to study a whole new craft, she took up ice skating, and just transformed before my eyes into the amazing badass woman I already knew she was; but, I could tell she now believed she was THAT woman too,” Kay said.


Having recently landed a major television placement with her silken single titled “Here” on ABC’s A Million Little Things, “Open” bears a potentially striking resemblance to that trajectory, melding a satiny soundscape with finishing touches of guitar that is sure to be another hit. Alongside creative partner and LA-based producer, Jynjo (aka Austin Foley), the duo worked to make the song feel “as open and free as it could,” using Kay’s vocal stems to create the paradisiacal pad heard at the start of the song.


Tre Ulseth contributed the thump of the spirited guitar throughout, cementing the “climactic final swells of the song” in a guitar solo that complements Kay’s punchy atmospherics. The union of the two results in a “full and lush” finale that Kay says is one of her favorite endings she’s ever created.


Released via Trailing Twelve Records, “Open” is a summer gem, trumpeting messages of encouragement at the junction of moody optimism and synth-pop production. Having already garnered a slew of official Spotify playlist features, widespread fan support, and notable press coverage, Los Angeles native Grace Kay has only just begun.



Written by Lena Hageman


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