Burning vibrant and unapologetically sacrilegious of anything that would constrain her voice, pop ethereal KAYE has returned with a blistering anthem in “Neon God.” Between its fireball of gilded riffs and heated synths, KAYE delves into an upbringing that demonized rock and kept her in church camp. But that all changed when she got her first taste of what her parents knew to be the devil’s music.
On “Neon God,” KAYE cracks those early molds and revels in the superb revelation that music offered for her: a place of true belonging and self-empowerment. Exploding through her delicious pop bombast KAYE emerges as the song’s titular neon god, a luminous figure leading a different kind of congregation.
Directed by the artist’s sister and acclaimed filmmaker Liann Kaye, the music video provides a stunning vision of KAYE’s “Neon God.” True to its themes of sacrilege there are a few unnerving images — like those taxidermy figures with seemingly human faces. But on the whole, the music video provides a triumphant pulpit from which the “Neon God” is to be worshipped. Whether that’s as a figure in all white, swaying a dozen phone-holding-arms; a french-fry-eating goddess covered in gold; or as a black-winged angel of delirious rock.
“This song has so many layers of meaning for me. I was raised in a conservative Christian household, and to my Chinese immigrant parents, becoming a rock star was the most Satanic thing I could possibly do. I had a promise ring! I went to church camp,” KAYE said of the inspiration behind her single. “One day, I snuck out of the house and experienced my first punk show, and that was when I was TRULY evangelized. I found belonging with all these other misfits, and THAT became my church. Since then, I’ve been fascinated by the idea of how not just rock stars, but politicians, celebrities, actors, tech leaders, news anchors—all have their own cults of personality. It made me think about what I worship now, as opposed to back then—has one idol just been swapped for another?”
KAYE’s upcoming Neon God EP is out on August 5, pre-order it here. Visit KAYE’s website, Twitter, and Instagram to stay updated on new releases and tour announcements.
Watch the video for KAYE’s new single “Neon God”
