Review: Kim Petras Ushers In Spooky Season With ‘Turn Off The Light’

Mike Nied | October 1, 2019 1:53 pm

Today is October 1, which means spooky season officially began. And Kim Petras officiated the transition with the unveiling of Turn Off The Light. Arriving at the stroke of midnight, it serves as an update on her acclaimed Vol.1. The menacing mixtape also cements her status as the uncontested Queen Of Halloween. Comprised of 17 bops and floor-filling instrumentals, the collection (it houses all eight of last year’s songs and nine new ones) is tailor-made for fans of tightly produced pop bangers and all things fright-inducing.

Kim introduces the project by heading to the club on “Purgatory.” Aside from some aural vocal runs, her presence on the eerie opener is minimal. However, the bone-rattling beat sets the scene for what is to come. There’s a flawless transition as the “Personal Hell” princess moves into her stomping anthem “There Will Be Blood.” And it’s a sinister delight. “Don’t let me in. Imma ruin your life. I’m straight psychotic,” she ominously sings. However, her warning shouldn’t be taken very seriously because what comes next is both threatening and seductive. “This is gonna be a hell of a night. I know you want it.”

Toss in a signature sing-along chorus, and you’ve got the formula for a perfectly creepy bop. The haunting of Kim Petras continues on “Bloody Valentine.” This one is a glitchy floor-filler with minimal lyrical content and maximal replay factor. Next up is “Wrong Turn,” a skittering ode to a partner’s impending doom. “You took the wrong turn. Took the wrong turn at the wrong time,” she coos. “You met the wrong one. Met the wrong one on the wrong night.” After threatening serious bodily harm, the “Heart To Break” siren slows the electro-kissed production down for a chilly outro. No one else can make the threat of death sound more alluring.

At this point, a pattern is beginning to emerge on the tracklist. Kim balances out every traditional song with an equally compelling instrumental track. That trend continues with “< demons >” and later with “Knives.” The latter – built around the sound of sharpening blades – is particularly winsome and demented. Our devilish diva puts a slight spin on her traditional artist tag “Woo-Ah” on “Massacre.” Not only that, but she conjures images of death and destruction to the iconic cadence of “Carol of the Bells.” The end result is a decidedly macabre Halloween anthem and a clear standout.

“I see the death. I smell the fear,” she chants. “Don’t be afraid. Just take my hand. Come follow me. I promise that I’ll take you there. Just you and me. Can’t even breathe. Can’t hear you scream.” I don’t know about you, but I’m shivering with fear. As the title suggests, “Death By Sex” is possibly the creepiest bedroom bop you’ve ever heard. “Give you the face. Serve you the body. Skinniest waist, you’re gonna love it. You’ll be missing me in the afterlife. Tonight’s gonna be the night of your life,” she coquettishly promises before twisting the knife on the chorus. From there she moves into last year’s content, which remains fantastic.

However, Kim closes out Turn Off The Light with one final new track – “Everybody Dies.” This one finds her glorifying living life in the fast lane. It’s dangerous, but at least you get to feel things to their fullest. “I’m gonna rebel until the end. And when I go down, Imma see you in Hell,” she vows over an almost schmaltzy production. “You can’t scare me. I’m prepared. So give me all my roses while I’m here.” Oh yeah, she delivers this message while serving some of her best vocals to date. She’s provided a soundtrack that will be in heavy rotation for the rest of this month. Not only that, but taken alongside Clarity, this is just more proof that Kim Petras is one of the brightest (and spookiest) rising stars on the scene.

Score: 4.5/5

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