Kaizer explores the similarities between madness and love with her latest single “Hello the Beat”, her first outing since the remarkable “Crying Like A Rose” EP. Its repetitive chorus alongside the rhythm is a combination that quickly becomes an earworm.
“When you’re in love, you’re insane, and it’s not a joke,” Kaizer explains. “There are those studies about the brain having the same brainwaves when in love as with mental illness.”
With that kind of meaning, it is no wonder that “Hello the Beat” gets stuck in your head, even after not listening for a few days. I was humming it without realising it throughout the Christmas break.
The accompanying music video is also full of contrasts: there are segments in colour, segments in black and white, and parts of the video play in reverse. This adds to the correlation between insanity and love: some days are amazing and full of colour, other days feel dull and lifeless, as though you’re going backwards. The ever-present repetitive chorus echoes that of an addictive anthem or repeating yourself while losing your mind. Karen Stenz Lundqvist, the producer and songwriter known as Kaizer, has a Bachelor’s degree in Aesthetics and Communication, which is a large influence on her unique style. It is also likely a large contributor to her out-of-the box thinking which shines through the video.
This song is punchy, full of attitude, and takes no prisoners from start to finish. Not only does it feature the peculiar comparison, it also has a side that shows fear and not wanting to be alone. “See my heart it’s carved in stone / Are you gonna leave me stranded,” Kaizer sings in the pre-chorus, alluding to the fear we exhibit when we first start falling in love, questioning how solid the base of the relationship is and whether we are going to end up alone again.
“I am alone in a crowded room but no one’s there / The ghosts of your tattooed arms are still here” — this part could mean that the lovers are only apart for a few days, but nothing can console them other than each other. Without each other, they are alone, even around other people.
“Hello the Beat” perfectly encapsulates those early flutters of love, as well as the manic feeling a mental illness can bring. In both cases, people tend to either let it all go or build a wall, depending on how they are perceived, but it is a very similar feeling. Overall, this single has great energy, and I am looking forward to seeing what comes next from Kaizer.