I know, I know, a lot of my blogs recently are about all these R&B acts returning and yes, there’s another one. Actually, it’s one I wasn’t really too keen on exploring, so this single has been out for a few weeks now. It’s the new single, “KitKat”, by Hi-Five.
Hi-Five was a group that definitely caught my attention when they first started out, ages ago. They were introduced to me by a performance they did with “I Like The Way (The Kissing Game)” in Amsterdam for a TV show called Countdown. I always regretted not being able to record it and still to this day, I haven’t been able to find it back on YouTube either (and I thought everything was on there?!).
I liked the song right away and soooo many years later, I bought a greatest hits album that I still play often. I never really wondered whatever happened to them, until I heard about the death of one of their members, Tony Thompson, who apparently had been battling a drug habit for years. I somehow got really upset by hearing it. It’s just always a shock to hear stories like these about people you thought had it all once.
Like many, I’m a big fan of the Unsung series. They are documentaries that tell stories of these forgotten stars, mainly R&B stars or hip hop artists. Hi-Five also has their own Unsung episode and it’s really worth watching. The group have really been through hell and back, and have been followed by drama, but they have also managed to find ways of starting again, over and over, throughout the years. So, I guess you could say that this new start is not an exception.
On their Facebook page they had announced the new single with the promise to bring back “real” R&B. Among all the comebacks, you already know I think Az Yet, Silk and After 7 have really done their best to contribute to that as well.
I have to admit that I really had my doubts about Hi-Five’s efforts at the beginning of their song. The first verse is just not that strong and the song really does need the chorus to help it out. It continues to not just quite do it, until all the way up to the bridge and the adlibs. That’s the moment I think Hi-Five actually start delivering. That’s where I hear that old R&B is still there and this group still has some skills.
“Kit Kat” is every bit of a sexual play if ever you heard one. Whether they double talk or talk straight – and they do both in the song - you can’t miss what the topic of the song is, but the song really is walking that thin line between being sexy, funny and cheesy. It’s not the best comeback single, but the whole thing does become awkward when you watch the official video that comes with it. The video made me cringe, so if you give yourself a “Kit Kat” break, try the audio.
