Artist and rapper Kimmortal rose to fierce and sudden fame earlier this year, when Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez posted a TikTok video lip-syncing to their song, SA国际影视传媒楽ad Femme ClubSA国际影视传媒�.

Cortez did it in response to confirmation hearings of U.S. Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson. The songSA国际影视传媒檚 chorus expresses the demeaning and often public, gendered double standards of emotional expression still so prevalent in mainstream society today.

Kimmortal is a queer non-binary Filipinx artist and rapper who uses the pronouns they/them, and is known for a powerful stage presence and multi-dimensional approach to music.

They paved a path for loving righteousness and getting groovy to the sound of dissent with this hit, giving voice to the many non-binary, queer, LGBTQIA and femme folk currently coping with outdated social norms.

Kimmortal described the experience like this: SA国际影视传媒淚 went to her IG story (AOCSA国际影视传媒檚) and she was laughing along and singing it like she knew the actual words! ISA国际影视传媒檝e performed that song so many times, but she was performing it to the extent that I would! It was so cool. I was like SA国际影视传媒渨owSA国际影视传媒� - SA国际影视传媒榗ause ISA国际影视传媒檝e followed AOC - sheSA国际影视传媒檚 just such a badass - and I forget that sheSA国际影视传媒檚 younger than me, but sheSA国际影视传媒檚 representing the current American public and political landscape, and is one of the few women of colour who is so outspoken. My publicist messaged me and was like SA国际影视传媒淚 hope you get some sleep tonight, there are going to be a few shares on this one.SA国际影视传媒�

But that was an understatement.

SA国际影视传媒淚t just sort of blew up! For a lot of my community it felt like a huge win. The fact that SA国际影视传媒楽ad Femme ClubSA国际影视传媒� was an Anthem for AOC witnessing a candidate for Congress deal with such open disrespect in Congress - and that it gave her strength - was so powerful. And it really paralleled why I wrote this song. I wrote SFC watching a friend of mine deal with similar dynamics in an academic place while trying to graduate and navigate the bureaucracy of art school.

SA国际影视传媒淭his was a moment, that moment that I realized my art moves, and does its own thing - that, as an artist, you put your work out into the world and it grows hands and feet, and walks. You donSA国际影视传媒檛 know where it goes, it just reaches people, crosses borders, and thatSA国际影视传媒檚 tight. That really supported me too.

Kimmortal is based out of Vancouver, but since AOCSA国际影视传媒檚 post in early March 2022, most fans are now based in the U.S.

SA国际影视传媒淚 donSA国际影视传媒檛 even have that many fans in so-called Canada anymore! They are all in California and Chicago, and just around the States.SA国际影视传媒�

New album

Kimmortal will release a new album in November and plans on touring in the coming months.

SA国际影视传媒淚SA国际影视传媒檓 just really excited my music is landing with radical folks. ThatSA国际影视传媒檚 who ISA国际影视传媒檝e been nurtured by, who I am, and who I want to reach.SA国际影视传媒�

SA国际影视传媒淭he challenges that are coming out right now across global political liberation movements come with the expression of deeply held truths - and, often, go hand in hand with deeply felt emotions. But to hold space for the realness of anger, sadness, confusion, and frustration, is a necessary part of healing and transformation, both collective and personal.

SA国际影视传媒淚SA国际影视传媒檓 the most empowered when I remember, that I am part of this collective liberation as a musician and performer - when I remember that this music comes from reconnecting with my ancestry, and how my ancestors speak in my music, and the process of embodying in my art, and performing, is part of something bigger.

SA国际影视传媒淚 spent five and a half years in academics as a visual arts student, and learned a lot, and became more politicized as a student, connecting to Filipino grassroots organizations in Vancouver that were all about educating, organizing and mobilizing and talking about issues in the Filipino community. And education is huge! I love learning. But there are still these big gaps in the music industry and community, and the chance to talk about these topics through lyricism - fitting some of these big issues in four bars of music - thatSA国际影视传媒檚 where a lot of my inspiration was drawn from.

SA国际影视传媒淭his next album is different, because ISA国际影视传媒檓 sitting more with my feelings, and not doubting that my feelings - and where ISA国际影视传媒檓 at - are important. And so this album feels more personal, and it feels more interpersonal.

SA国际影视传媒淚n my last album I spoke, generally, about a larger movement, or the liberation movement in general, and this next album is more like love songs - and not doubting that love songs are a powerful thing.

SA国际影视传媒淪o much of my identity as a musician is being outspoken, and speaking to states of oppression, but realizing that I have limits, and that I was neglecting my health, and that this wasnSA国际影视传媒檛 what this was about to begin with. We are not meant to brutalize ourselves at the expense of art.SA国际影视传媒�

Beginning to feel happiness

The artistSA国际影视传媒檚 newest release - SA国际影视传媒楰, ISA国际影视传媒檓 MortalSA国际影视传媒� SA国际影视传媒� was SA国际影视传媒渨ritten in a shoebox of a room - where the oven was at the foot of my bed, and I was so unhealthy SA国际影视传媒� sorting through the whirlwind of so-called-success in my music career SA国际影视传媒� interviews on interviews, music video projects, album recording, more intentions. But I was so not well, and my relationships were falling apart, and then the pandemic happened and I actually learned to slow down. And, I mean, we all say that SA国际影视传媒� SA国际影视传媒渓earning to slow down,SA国际影视传媒� but the impact on my core, and rearranging my core, and being like SA国际影视传媒淥K, what just happened?SA国际影视传媒� and healing through that SA国际影视传媒� and realizing that this is not what this is supposed to be SA国际影视传媒� as in, feeling like, as an artist, I needed to be the very tip of the flame. ISA国际影视传媒檓 now leaning into understanding that I am also human, and that just because you (the listener) canSA国际影视传媒檛 see me, doesnSA国际影视传媒檛 mean I donSA国际影视传媒檛 exist.

SA国际影视传媒淚SA国际影视传媒檓 really leaning into that, and ISA国际影视传媒檓 beginning to feel happiness - and thatSA国际影视传媒檚 such a big deal, you know? ISA国际影视传媒檓 connecting with happiness, and thatSA国际影视传媒檚 a huge part of healing - just like, being OK with this ordinary-extraordinary, and my mortality, and life and death - and every moment - so, I feel like ISA国际影视传媒檝e grown a little, and at the same time too, I still feel like a child, and thatSA国际影视传媒檚 a great thing, too.SA国际影视传媒�