![\"kimbra20140604_0036\"](\"http:\/\/www.audiofemme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/kimbra20140604_0036.jpg\")
<\/a>About a month ago, Kimbra <\/a>released her latest song, \u201c90s Music\u201d in preparation for her sophomore album The Golden Echo,<\/em> out Aug. 19 in the U.S. via Warner Bros. Records. The official music video for the track that followed a few weeks later is so loaded with nostalgic imagery and bubblegum goodness that it has taken me this long to process everything into a coherent review that does not just include me flailing about and emitting high-pitched squeals.<\/p>\n To many, Kimbra might be known as \u201cthat one girl who was on that one Gotye song that really blew up\u201d but to others, she\u2019s the singer-songwriter from New Zealand who released a stunning debut album in 2011 that was full of retro vibes and soul-pop perfection. Vows<\/em> showcased Kimbra\u2019s vocal and songwriting prowess and her music videos and live performances revealed her eclectic style and confident yet quirky dancing. The album climbed to the top 5 in charts in both New Zealand and Australia and in the US, it reached the top 20 on the Billboard 200. She was slated to tour with Janelle Mon\u00e1e, an artist also known for her eccentric style, but\u00a0it was cancelled after Mon\u00e1e fell ill. It’s a damn shame that all we have to remind us of what could’ve been is\u00a0this swoon-worthy promo video<\/a>\u00a0for the tour, but we’ll take what we can get.<\/p>\n There’s little anyone can do to prepare \u00a0for the sensory overload that is “90s Music;” Kimbra’s last single from Vows<\/em>, \u201cCome into My Head,\u201d shares\u00a0elements of having a fresh take on soul throwback, with lots of trumpets and funky bass,\u00a0but is practically minimalist by comparison. On this latest single, auto-tuned\u00a0references to 90’s pop stars like Aaliyah, Mariah Carey and TLC sound like a cassette tape rewinding several decades, Kimbra’s forceful\u00a0voice squeezed into a rapid-fire falsetto.<\/p>\n On “90s Music,” there’s little hint of the\u00a0somebody we used to know<\/em>, and that\u2019s why I\u2019m 100% in love with this song. It\u2019s a delight to see her pushing musical boundaries, exploring new styles and dabbling in wordplay, and having fun as well. Both the song and the video work well as an homage to a Lisa Frank-ified era, but at its core, we see how\u00a0absolutely enamored Kimbra is with music, making it, and performing it, and it\u2019s infectious.<\/p>\n The video seethes with an uncontainable energy: all bright colors, animated Trapper Keeper patterns, kinetic dancing reminiscent of Missy Elliott’s bombastic offerings. Kimbra’s crazy wardrobe takes some definite cues from the “Supafly” rapper, her over-the-top outfits paired with vibrant makeup and equally uniquely dressed backup dancers.\u00a0Not only does this correlation bring out some of the hip-hop influence at work on the track, it successfully references the hey day of the big-budget,\u00a0blockbuster\u00a0videos that dominated MTV’s TRL and cast performers as larger than-life superstars, from Biggie and Puff in “Mo’ Money, Mo’ Problems” to Gwen Stefani in No Doubt’s “Spiderwebs” video, to Busta Rhymes in… well, everything. But Kimbra is smart when it comes to stylistic appropriation, updating her brand of nostalgia when necessary, and providing ample shout-outs to her major sources of inspiration. Throughout it all, Kimbra’s carefree spirit, dynamic originality and exceptional talent take center stage.<\/p>\n