Adelaide/Tarndanya-based bubblegum emo act, Killed by Cupid stirs a concoction of hyperpop, pop-punk and 2000s alt-pop delivered as emotional candy. Sweet to the lips, but leaving a bitter taste, ‘The Sickly Sweet’ is reminiscent of the rawness of heart-break and the struggle of overcoming mental illness.
The new solo project of Jesse Cumes is striking at the emerging new-wave emo scene, and Killed by Cupid has already found stirred interest with their debut ‘Magic’ and follow-up release ‘Sugar’, building anticipation before the launch of ‘The Sickly Sweet’ EP.
‘The Sickly Sweet’ is a self-explanatory excerpt from Cumes, exploring the ramifications of a finished relationship, the gripe with one's mental health and the anguish derived from self-reflection and growth when journeying through life.
Although playful at times, ‘The Sickly Sweet’ is Cumes’ exploration into their growth, values and inner-workings. Furthering their understanding into the innate attraction to opposites and rummaging for the tools necessary to work through their mental health.
The EP starts with debut track ‘Magic’, accenting the self-directed disgust of spiralling after a breakup. Mixing elements of cloud rap and pop-punk, ‘Magic’ makes an instant nostalgic emo anthem by intertwining aspects of 2000s classics and trap.
Followed up by the boisterous banger, ‘Toxic’, Killed By Cupid opens with a playful diss track before turning the target to their head.
‘Cotton Candy Boy Toy’ redirects the focus of the EP back towards understanding motivations for relationships, exploring the intrinsic attraction to opposites and how this can coax fatal flaws.
Lead single, ‘Sugar feat. Jack Cumes', delves into the process of freeing yourself from relationships that are detrimental to your mental health–searching for strategies for confidence in independence.
Closing ‘The Sickly Sweet’ is ‘Forget It’ and ‘GO2BED’. Harnessing 808 bass lines, electro-pop synths and angelically autotuned melodies to portray the post-relationship depression, these two tracks wrap the release up in a vacuum sealed candy wrapper stamped with growth and newfound grit.
From top to bottom, ‘The Sickly Sweet’ presents the process of development across the challenging process of self-reflection and growth. Cumes provides insight:
"‘The Sickly Sweet EP’ is about a breakup I went through and the spiral of self-destructive tendencies and poor coping mechanisms that followed. The EP covers the highs and lows of mental illness and heartbreak while attempting to move on from toxic relationships.”
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