Royal & The Serpent
Kinda Smacks (feat. GAYLE)

It’s never a bad plan to write a song that means your band will get a permanent association, like ‘Royal and the Serpent kinda smacks’. It also helps if it’s true, which is certainly the case here.

A Gallup-esque bass and a trashy beat introduce the song, smoothing out into the first verse and its flickers of guitar. The song certainly crosses genres, but I love it. The thickening of the soup throughout the song is perfect, with every moment of wiry chucking and every cut-back bass-focussed section ringing true.

The combination of vocals from Royal & The Serpent and GAYLE also works, they have different tones that bring different feels to their respective sections and there are some interesting harmony ideas, too.

I utterly love this song.

Kinda Smacks Video

Watch Royal & The Serpent + GAYLE – ‘Kinda Smacks’.

Kinda Smacks Lyrics

I did not expect you home so soon
Might wanna take a seat, babe
I see that you’re confused
And I thought I could keep this to myself
But I can’t, no, I can’t
And I think I need some help

I know this makes things complicated
But I just really gotta say it

Your ex-boyfriend’s music kinda smacks
And it makes me kinda sad
‘Cause I can’t stop listening, listening
I know I said that it was whack
But I gotta take it back
‘Cause I can’t stop listening, listening
Your ex-boyfriend’s music kinda smacks
And it makes me kinda sad
‘Cause I can’t stop listening, listening
I know I said that it was whack
But I gotta take it back
‘Cause I can’t stop listening, listening

I did not think I’d be home this soon
I heard familiar voices bouncing off the walls
Inside our room, and I
I kinda like it too
Just never brought it up because I didn’t know you knew

I know this makes things complicated
But I just really gotta say it

Your ex-boyfriend’s music kinda smacks
And it makes me kinda sad
‘Cause I can’t stop listening, listening
I know I said that it was whack
But I gotta take it back
‘Cause I can’t stop listening, listening
Your ex-boyfriend’s music kinda smacks
And it makes me kinda sad
‘Cause I can’t stop listening, listening
I know I said that it was whack
But I gotta take it back
‘Cause I can’t stop listening, listening

Your ex-boyfriend’s music kinda smack
Kinda smacks
Ex-boyfriend’s music kinda smacks
Kinda smacks

Written by Fenton on 17th February 2024

Steve Fenton writes in our music, words, and culture categories. He was Editor in Chief for The Mag and covered live music for DV8 Magazine and Spill Magazine. He was often found in venues throughout the UK alongside ace-photographer, Mark Holloway. Steve is also a technical writer and programmer and writes gothic fiction. Steve studied Psychology at OSC, and Anarchy in the UK: A History of Punk from 1976-1978 at the University of Reading.

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