Triple Threat

posted in: Artist Features

Karina Es

The list of Karina Es‘s accolades is so diverse it almost seems made-up: showcases for Gene Simmons, co-writing credits for Chinese superstar Laure Shang, song placements on Nickelodeon. It’s only when you listen to her music that it starts to make sense. Es is a protean performer, nimbly skipping from urban to pop, Latin and R&B. There doesn’t seem to be a genre that the Toronto singer isn’t willing to try her hand at. Make It Real is her most club-ready single. Percolating vocals and digital chirps make the track more of a bopper than a banger. Blame It On The Tango is a fiery ballad with a Spanish guitar, horn section and some beat-box textures a la Justin Timberlake’s Cry Me A River. It’s a catchy Latin number, even with the queso. Probably the biggest departure for Es is What Are You Waiting For? The twee pop rock track feels like a Disney hit, even if the lyrics are more adult: You say my body’s more than you could ever dream to explore ¦ The great thing about Es is, if one song isn’t your style, the next one could be. If a teenage girl, a club hopper and a salsa instructor walked into the bar, they’d probably play Karina Es on the jukebox.