Five years after devoting herself entirely to her solo career, Kim Gordon, best known as one of the critical members of Sonic Youth, returns with a new single titled “BYE BYE” as well as the announcement of a new album and upcoming US tour. The new track arrives with a video directed by photographer and filmmaker Clara Balzary, with cinematography by Christopher Blauvelt.
After the band dissolved in 2011, Gordon began collaborating with several artists, ranging from her album with Yoko Ono to her duo, Body/Head, with Bill Nace. Eventually, the steady stream of guest features led to her debut solo album, No Home Record, in 2019. Produced by Justin Raisen, who’s worked with Charli XCX, Yves Tumor, and John Cale, the album focused on her still dynamic capabilities as a vocalist, particularly on the industrial-inspired rager “Murdered Out.”
Gordon and Raisen are teaming up for her ten-track follow-up, The Collective, out March 8 on Matador. To coincide with the album’s release, Gordon will also go on a US spring tour, including a show at The Regent Theater in LA on March 27, with tickets going on sale to the general public on Jan. 19 at 10 AM.
Compared to the songs on her debut, lead single “BYE BYE” finds Gordon exploring vastly different soundscapes than what most would know her for. The bass-heavy trap beat comes from out of nowhere as if it were meant to catch listeners off guard.
But Gordon surprisingly matches the dark production, listing items like she’s reading off a coroner’s report. The scathing, metallic instrumental builds upon the trap foundation, eventually adding walls of distorted guitars that close the track on an unsettling note.
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The narrative-led music video, starring Gordon’s daughter, Coco Gordon Moore, follows a woman running away from her home and lip-syncing the puzzling lyrics. Her travels through the city shed some clarity on the random objects mentioned in the song without giving away what this woman is preparing herself for. The nature of her escapade is never revealed, keeping a heavy layer of fog around the video and song at large.
It’s impossible to underestimate what Gordon brought to Sonic Youth, having served as bassist, guitarist, and vocalist on some of their biggest tracks. But with her exciting new solo material, she shows what made her intrinsic to the band’s success and the furthering of alternative rock for decades, as well as a plan to not falter behind a shifting music scene.
Words: David Sosa
“BYE BYE” by Kim Gordon is out on streaming services. For more on her upcoming album and tour, including tickets to an LA date at The Regent Theater on March 27, follow her on Instagram and her website.
March 21: Burlington, Vt. (Higher Ground)
March 22: Washington, D.C. (Black Cat)
March 23: Queens, N.Y. (Knockdown Center)
March 27: Los Angeles, CA (The Regent Theater)
March 29: Ventura, CA (Music Hall)
March 30: San Francisco, CA (Fillmore)
Kim Gordon US Tour:
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