Following on from recent singles ‘FADE OUT’ and her cover of Kings of Leon’s ‘SEX ON FIRE’, Kami Kehoe enters a bold new era, switching her viewpoint and letting her guard down with latest single ‘HEARTLESS‘, produced by Curt Martin (Catch Your Breath, Arankai, ekoh) and Keith Sorrells (Demi Lovato, Royal & the Serpent, Charlotte Sands, Jutes) and released via Atlantic Records.
Kami‘s discography up to this point has stretched the full spectrum of heartbreak to healing, with ‘HEARTLESS’ being a vulnerable ballad, written from a ‘what if’ point of view, on the edge of a potential fallout. Despite being burned many times before, Kami continues to show her strength and fearlessness throughout this new single by continuing to give her all instead of building up walls.
Contrary to hit song ‘DOPAMINE’ where Kami blames the other person for her numbness; “I lost everything you took from me, I did it all for nothing, now I can’t feel a thing”, she takes control of the reins, reframing “heartless” in a positive light; as a consequence of her devotion instead of her indifference: “But I’d rather be heartless, than to lose you”.
Photo Credit: Alex Stone
The drum kit takes a backseat in this track, allowing the emotional vocals to do the heavy lifting. The synth sets the sad yet hopeful tone at the beginning of this song before Kami‘s vocals set in. The distinct yet controlled shakiness to the vocals, captures her vulnerability and emotional openness throughout.
This track follows the journey of accepting her decision, to give her all to someone, despite the potential consequences. The use of strings in the pre-chorus evokes a sense of calmness, alluring to the fact she has made peace with the actuality that she might lose everything in order to fully love one person.
By using synths at the beginning, they have created a depth of sound that emulates the feeling of being alone with your thoughts. Further on in the song, the synths are used to mimic and echo the lyrics as if we are in her mind with her, while she second guesses if it is worth it. The drums kick in slowly at the beginning of verse 2, accompanied by the electric guitar riffs which ramp up in intensity at the end of the following pre chorus. They then both descend into a swirling breakdown, possibly signifying the inner conflict and turmoil that may arise from this decision. The end of the song strips back to just the synth and vocals again, ending on a note of confidence and sincerity before drowning out into the background, ultimately deciding that it is worth giving her all to ‘the one’ even if it means becoming heartless if they leave.
HEARTLESS is about having one heart and putting it on the line, but wrestling with the idea of finding your person and knowing that if they leave, they take everything you had with them. Seeing people connect with my music everyday has made me a lot less scared of being this honest, because that kind of truth is exactly what makes music worth making for me.
The accompanying music video encapsulates the full spectrum of emotions from being vulnerable and slightly afraid, yet still running towards the things that you are sure of. The full extent of Kami’s devotion is shown throughout, emphasising the sincerity of her sentiment. The end of the music video finishes with a moment of suspense, perhaps hinting towards the album name? Check it out for yourself below!
‘HEARTLESS’ once again proves that Kami puts her all into everything she believes in, whether that is in regard to her music or her personal life. I’m sure this attitude will continue to take her far in her career.
To begin her 2026 live run, Kami will return to Los Angeles for a special headline show at the Roxy on February 19th. Kami‘s full touring schedule can be found HERE.
