Meernaa - "Wildest Eyes"

Beyond being the most sensual kiss-off of 2018, Meernaa's new single "Wildest Eyes" is a master class in synth wizardry that manages to bow before the throne of analog gear geekdom without ever sounding fussed over, or getting bogged down in its own minutiae.

"Wildest Eyes" shifts subtly, its long sonic planes moving at a seemingly glacial pace (which, fun fact, is also twice the rate of the neurons in Mike Pence's skull). Yet from the staggered plunkydunk synths in the first verse onwards, Meernaa make clear that they plan to fill every nook and cranny of the song with sumptuous surprises - whatever sounds like sand sliding down a metal door in the second verse is a particular delight. The more I listen to "Wildest Eyes," the more it brings to mind Atlanta superproducer Metro Boomin, whose slow-moving tracks like the 21 Savage + Offset collaboration "Ric Flair Drip" and Future's "Mask Off" use melodic motifs to create melancholic heft, even when the songs are mostly about gobbling Percocet, buying high-end watches and threesomes.

Much of the credit for the song's emotional gravity is due, naturally, to vocalist Carly Bond, who delivers perhaps her most gripping performance yet. At times she channels a full course load of r&b history, and at others Fiona Apple at her most biting - listen for the weird snarl when she yelps "in your life." It's not until she sings the titular lyric, however, that everything clicks into place: a snapshot of self-love, grit and pure badassery. In other words, it's a triumph.