Cara Knox returns, and for her up the new single, "Ronda," she's bringing us into the depths of her haunting, intoxicating universe. The South African-born, UK-based artist has been quietly and steadily shaping her corner of the alt-pop world, and Ronda is a mesmerizing testament to her audacious artistry.
A smoldering blend of brooding synths, driving basslines, and dark, hypnotic melodies, Ronda is one of those tracks that stay with you long after the final note has played. It's dark pop at its most seductive, moody, playful, unnerving, and undeniable. With shades of Christine and the Queens and Lorde, Cara channels something familiar yet very much her own.
"Ronda" is an anthem of self-empowerment embedded in an inscrutable plot. The lyrics suggest an indelible presence, a person who pushed Cara to present her fiercest, most authentic self. With its minimalist production, the song's architecture is designed to showcase her lofty vocals, which dance between jeers and booming statements, sending listeners into raptures.
But what makes "Ronda" unique is its hypnotic quality. The hypnotic, almost trance-inducing groove keeps you locked in, and while Cara's voice is ethereal, it's authoritative, too. There's an undeniable confidence in her delivery as if she's inviting us to follow her into the shadows, to dance in the dark.
"Ronda" is a prologue. With "Ronda," Cara Knox gives a preview for her debut EP, I Dance with the Dark So She Loves Me, which is on the way, and along the way, it's evident that Knox is not playing by the alt-pop rulebook she's tearing it up and starting a new one.