The single “Salty” by British singer-songwriter Kianja sounds like sitting back into a velvet chair, wrapping your fingers around the base of an Old Fashioned glass while you defiantly sip away with a smirk. Her forceful claims all gravy-thick vocals are smooth as honey, sharp as any perfect parry of wit. It had a track that just hugged, thanks to lush 80s-inspired guitar riffs; then delivered quite possibly the knockout blow [lyrically] akin to being punched in the face by only seconds-hideous Mike Tyson. It's an anthem of grown-up liberation, in which Kianja takes on ancient scars with the kind of elegance that comes from having truly moved on. The hooks? Infectious. The message? Unshakable. You can almost hear the eye rollover in her voice as she tries to figure out why it is that every grudge ends with her ex, creating a melody that structures throughout like sorrow which lingers.

Her words read less like an essay and more like late-night drinks, a friend telling you everything that finally came out. But, the maturity in her vocal delivery makes it more than just another visceral breakup ballad; “Salty” is an open wound that refuses to be ignored until fully scabbed over. The broad-appealing vocal arrangements which straddle modern R&B-referencing smoothness and retro soul nostalgia on this track aren't just about moving on, they suggest upping sticks in the face of someone trying to bring you back down. You only need to play the song once and it is a freaking earworm. Listen to it twice, and you will question how the hell anything other than this was ever allowed.

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