“POV: You stumble upon this niche band and decide to become a fan before they’re famous.”

Immediately, this ideology and clever advertising tactic caught my attention and drew me into the music of Krooked Kings. From there, the opening chords of the song “Lying Through Their Teeth” convinced me that listening was the right choice. 

Numerous guitar melodies proliferate every piece, and they add a calming touch that simply makes sense. Combining this with unique instrumentation techniques, such as the opening of “Hesitation,” creates an intriguing melody. Unlike many pop songs of today that contain a steady stream of belting lyrics and a structured order of refrains, Krooked Kings allows more time for the melody to sink in and let the instruments shine. 

Even with the vocals, I never found them to be overpowering. This aspect allows one track to flow effortlessly into the next and leaves no lyric up for interpretation. Although the songs didn’t possess a wide range in regards to tempo, they delivered the same quality one track after the next.

As of now, “In a Mood” is my favorite song written by Krooked Kings, with lyrics that describe the sudden changes in relationships when their band becomes popular—exposing the battle of distinguishing their actions between real and fake. 

When inserting these newer compositions into my Spotify playlist, they seemed to instantly find a home nestled between more mainstream artists. Considering the band was able to initially grab my attention with an Instagram post instead of a friend recommendation, the world can definitely expect them to grow in the number of listeners. This year, they’re even going on tour to a variety of cities around the U.S.

In addition, they seem to have a strong handle on their social media output; I was impressed by the simultaneous simplicity and creativity in their various music videos. For “‘96 Subaru,” the video begins with a mini vlog that reveals the band members’ personalities to their fans. The rest of the video included a montage of their experiences coupled with an easygoing performance of the song. 

Overall, I’d strongly recommend fellow teenagers to give Krooked Kings a listen and let their rhythms fill the background noise while doing homework or driving. Though this emotion was far from what I expected, I found every song to have a calming and focused effect. 

While watching the charts over the next couple of years, keep an eye out for Krooked Kings as they possess the talent and potential to rise to fame. It’s clear that they’re dedicated and passionate in their craft, and one can’t help but root for them to succeed.