TaniA Kyllikki – “In These Eyes”

TaniA Kyllikki – “In These Eyes” – Single Review

Don’t get me wrong y’all…if you read my review on TaniA’s single “H.W.C.” from November last year, then you know I believe in this lady and the talent she’s got.  I can promise ya, that hasn’t changed after listening to “In These Eyes,” though I’m not sure this current cut quite shows the growth she’s gained in relation to the effort I know she’s put in.  I can hear some genuine positives in many points throughout “In These Eyes” for sure…TaniA has a sensational voice and there’s no doubt about that…but from my perspective, she’s gotta reign it in a bit and try not to do everything all at once.  I listened to “In These Eyes” and one of my first thoughts was the old adage of “less is more” – what Kyllikki needs most is an editor or some objectivity to help set her on the right path…because she’s got the talent, and now it’s just a matter of refining her voice so that she can become the Pop star she’s attempting to be, and in many ways, already is.  Like I always tell ya, I’m nothing but fair in my assessments here on these pages of ours…I have my opinions, sure – but the reality is, “In These Eyes” has amassed a staggering six figures worth of hits within the first month of its release online…so truly – what do I know anyway?  If people are responding to the music she’s making positively, it’s even harder for any criticism to justify itself or take the kind of root required in order for her to make change in the future to follow.  And I wouldn’t blame her if she wanted to tune out any remotely dissenting voices when the numbers are already tremendously in her favor.  In short, she doesn’t need someone like me to tell her she’s great or needs to adjust this or that – she’s already received confirmation from hundreds of thousands of people listening far & wide across the globe.  Like I’ve been saying…don’t get my words twisted, I get it, I get it – I have no problem at all telling you how talented TaniA is, I’m just advocating on behalf of her dialing in on what works, refining her craft, and evolving into the artist that she truly wants to be.  If that makes me the bad guy, I’m willing to be that dude…y’all know I just give out the best advice I can in order to help assist the scene in the best ways I can, simple as that.  “In These Eyes” has some seriously brilliant moments without a doubt, but it could also use some more stability than it has too…my gut tells me that if TaniA was to reign in her vocalizations a bit, smooth things out a little, and approach her vocals a bit more straightforward without trying to bend each and every note, she’d likely increase her accessibility overall.  That could be the way I hear it, or it could be the reality of the situation – ultimately that’s up to you all to decide.  There’s an undeniably artful approach to the way she sings, and I respect that too.  Whether everyone thinks it works or not, who knows…but at the very least she displays a lot of passion and identity in the way she sings, and that’ll lead her down the right path in the course of her career as it continues on from here.

I appreciate that she’s going for a cross-cultural vibe here, even if I’m less sure about how that lands.  Like, I felt like she felt the same way about the opening hook in the first twenty-five seconds for example – it’s the only time you’re gonna hear it in the song, because the complexity of the melody contrasts and clashes a bit too much for it to have that smooth fluidity Pop listeners are always craving.  As she heads into the verses, TaniA will end up on much more solid ground, but just keep in mind, with the opening being a bit more shaky in terms of its results, she potentially puts a bit of instant obstacle between her audience & the best parts of her song to follow.  First impressions count for so much in terms of getting people to stick around and listen…I’m just advising caution, that’s all.  I feel like TaniA will have no issues in retaining listening ears once people make their way through the intro.  They might feel like there is a bit too much added into her vocalizations here and there like I do, but they also might not and simply love the stylistic & soulful way that she sings…it could go either way when it comes to “In These Eyes.”  Her husband Rynellton makes an appearance to add in the rap verse, which is a staple of the kind of Pop that TaniA has patterned her own music after…you could cite the influence from all kinds of stars and hit songs championed throughout the late 80s/early 90s, and clearly it’s still something that artists love to use to this very day.  It works well enough here in my opinion…I didn’t really feel like it would make or break the song for anyone so much as it was a good tool to diversify the material even further.  Lyrically it’s sound…TaniA’s range continues to impress…the vibe of the music shows that she’s looking to create unique material that stands out…like I said, lots of positives to be found here without a doubt.  It’s all a game of tiny adjustments back & forth throughout the years of a career, continual refinement, and most importantly, being objective.  I can help with that last part at least.  Maybe you agree, maybe you don’t – but every opinion out there has the ability to help a young artist like TaniA on her way forward so that she can make those adjustments in whatever way she chooses, to reach the level of those she admires most on her own playlists.  With the talent and vocal range she’s got, there’s no doubt she’ll get there.

Find more music by TaniA Kyllikki at her page at Spotify here:  https://open.spotify.com/artist/2fftdozjYOvW6pP3nDruCa

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