It’s hard to come into Kiss Of Life’s new digital single Live, Love, Laugh without the impact of their severely misguided livestream rattling around in your head. That event, filmed and released a few weeks ago, left a bad taste in my mouth and makes even the title “Live, Love, Laugh” feel patronizing and tone deaf. I’m not a fan of “cancel culture” and believe everyone deserves the chance to make amends for past mistakes, but there are some things that are hard to un-see.
It would certainly help if Live, Love, Laugh was a better song. As usual, the girls perform it well. Their virtuosic vocal delivery reminds me of the powerhouse R&B of the late 90’s. It would be nice to hear that approach driving an equally engaging song. Instead, Live, Love, Laugh is a whole bunch of nothing. Judging from its collage-like video, this is essentially the album-ending fan song that often gets chucked onto idol releases. These can be enjoyable — especially if you’re a big fan of the artist — but more often feel extraneous. In these circumstances, it just feels like an odd choice.
With that said, Live, Love, Laugh would likely function better at the end of a very strong album. On its own, I can’t find much reason to return to it. And, I fear that the same might be said about the group themselves unless there’s some kind of evolution in both their music and their awareness.
Hooks
7
Production
8
Longevity
7
Bias
7
RATING
7.25