Pop/hip-hop duo MKTO recently released a full audio preview of their upcoming, self-titled album, which will be released on April 1 by Columbia Records. The tracks, available on Vevo, explore the ups and downs of being on the brink of adulthood, with topics ranging from social consciousness and political frustration to the complicated games of love.
The band’s members are Malcolm Kelley and Tony Oller, whose initials together spell MKTO. Two best friends and actors who met on the set of Nickelodeon show Gigantic, they formed a kind of musical experiment, fusing two distinct genres into a sound that works extremely well and is irresistibly catchy.
In 2013, MKTO put out music videos for their new singles, “Thank You” and “Classic,” both of which will appear on the new album. “Thank You” is the more politically and socially conscious of the two; its sarcastic and undeniably honest lyrics ring true for youth in modern America. The chorus, in an anthem-like battle cry, goes:
“We are the ones, the ones you left behind / Don’t tell us how, tell us how to live our lives / Ten million souls, we’re breaking all the rules / Thank you for nothing, cuz there’s nothing left to lose.”
Oller’s impressive singing in the pop-flavored sections blends nicely with Kelley’s rapping, both communicating a similar kind of angst and frustration, but also hoping for the future. This is certainly reflected by the energetic and fast-paced tempo of the tune.
“Classic,” on the other hand, while setting the pace with a beat worthy of some serious head nodding, is a song about finding the right girl — namely, one who is timeless and of substance, but still fun and full of life.
This desire for uniqueness is a theme that runs throughout each track and defines MKTO as more than a typical, shallow boy band.
“American Dream’s” lyrics describe a certain dichotomy between wanting a stable future and piece of the traditional American Dream but wanting to avoid conformity and preserving originality. The opening line suggests a hip-hop tone for the song:
“Do something with you life!” Kelley repeats, as his voice fades in time with the bass.
The melody then morphs into a smoother blends of hip-hop and pop, while the chorus conveys notes of anxiety and frustration with finding a place in the world. This is certainly a theme that soon-to-be college graduates can relate to well:
“The world is spinning too fast for you and me/So tell me whatever happened to the American Dream,” they sing.
MKTO then slows down the speed and gets a little more romantic, but not in a cheesy kind of way. They reflect on important sub-themes of love and relationships that rings true for young people trying to figure out who they are and what they look for in another person.
“Baby I got bills to pay/But since you’re here today and take my breath away.”
This lyrics from “Forever Until Tomorrow” acknowledges the perhaps daunting reality of fleeting, young love, however precious it might seem at the time. Computerized instrumentation is interwoven with guitar and piano to make for a heartbreaking and painfully raw tone.
Suddenly, about halfway through, the song jarringly changes gears and shifts to a faster, more mechanical beat, as if to mimic clapping:
“Who knows what I’m gonna feel tomorrow?,” Oller sings in this section.
This different part of the song might seem arbitrary, but symbolically, it might signify the other phase of romance. The first might be romantic and swoony, but the second might cause someone to literally “snap out of it” and realize that love might not last forever, and there are — unfortunately — other commitments and priorities at this stage in life.
Following this track, “Wasted” brings back the rap elements in MKTO’s music, contrasting nicely with classical cello and piano. The song has the potential to get too sappy, as it is about someone who admits to ruining every good chance at love and becoming frustrated with the trend of casual dating. However, the rap injects some energy and youthful flavor back into the song, making for a lamentation that is listenable and completely relatable.
MKTO may be new on the music scene, but its new album will prove to fans that the band is worth paying close attention to. Young fans will appreciate its fresh approach to music, and from here on out, it has nowhere to go but up.
