Jamie xx Taps Into Dancehall with Second Single Of 2022 ‘Kill Dem’
Jamie xx has become a mythical figure in the wide world of music. He first made his impact known in the late 2000s with his Mercury Music Prize-winning band, The xx. With The xx, Jamie wove a technicolor tapestry of R&B, indie, and dance which soon caught the attention of industry heavy hitters like Adele, Florence+The Machine, and Gil Scott-Heron. In 2011, the Putney, UK native released his debut solo single, “Far Nearer/Beat For,” to high praise while notching production credits on Drake’s Take Care.
Eleven years later, Jamie xx is just as busy as ever working with artists ranging from Fred Again.. and Four Tet to Young Thug and The Avalanches. The only downside of Jamie’s in-demand production prowess is the scarcity of original releases. His solo library embodies the saying “Quality over quantity.” While his releases are few and far between, every time he drops, we listen. This week’s track of the week features the Grammy-nominated producer’s latest single, “KILL DEM.”
As one of Jamie xx’s most coveted IDs of late, anyone lucky enough to catch his set in 2022 may recognize this dancehall firestarter. Head-spinning vocal chops furiously sputter over pattering drum loops and powerful piano chords. Jamie’s experiences attending London's Notting Hill Carnival as a teenager inspired him to write the song. And this past summer, that experience came full circle as festival goers saw Jamie xx make his Notting Hill Carnival artist debut as a guest of drum n bass talent, Shy FX.
“KILL DEM” premiered on BBC Radio 1 and is Jamie xx’s second solo release of 2022. The first, “LET’S DO IT AGAIN,” was another club-ready hit coursing with soulful house euphoria and marked Jamie’s first solo release in two years. In an interview following the BBC Radio 1 premiere, the famously diverse artist mentioned that he likes to stay busy, working on multiple projects at a time, including his next album. His previous album, In Colour, was released in 2015 and received a Grammy nomination for Best Dance/Electronic Album.
