Track Review: Secret Lover // Karina Magallon
With the belief that music should inspire and empower, US-based Karina Magallon combines elements of pop and Latin in a unique way. Known for her passionate performances, upbeat sound and vocal agility, listening to this singer-songwriter is like falling into a warm pool of sound. Featured on Rising Artists Blog, Pop Fad Blog, YMX and Roadie Music, Karina is turning the heads of critics across the globe. The most recent addition to her well-received repertoire is the single ‘Secret Lover’.
Taken off her upcoming EP Island Day, ‘Secret Lover’ lies somewhere between Shakira and Christina Aguilera. In fact, Karina’s hypnotising vocals remind me greatly of old-school Christina Aguilera but with a more youthful edginess to the head-bopping tune. The edginess is enhanced by her unique take on bossa nova meets commercial pop style. Infusing piano with dynamic drums and percussion, the melodic arrangement swirls about you in a beautiful haze of sound.
Recorded and produced with producer Thomas Ng, as well as mixed and mastered by Milky Day, ‘Secret Lover’ has a harmonic elegance. Not only is the melody warm, rich and bold, but Karina’s vocals add a girlish innocence to the sophisticated tune. Toe-tapping and smooth, ‘Secret Lover’ flows into the kaleidoscopic soundscape making it a tune to remember.
Yes, the melody itself can hypnotise a listener, but it is the poetic lyricism that really enhances vulnerability, naivety and joviality. Karina shares that ‘Secret Lover’ is a love song where “…you both like each other but the other is too afraid to fall in love, but they reach a point where it doesn’t matter because they’ve both fallen in love. There is no need to keep their love a secret anymore.”
In addition to the single, Karina Magallon released an official music video for ‘Secret Lover’. You can see it below: