A Kimbra Celebration! - Part Four: Can't You Feel It Burning?

2010 was a critical year for Kimbra, as she would release her first radio single that would later appear on her first record. The song, titled Settle Down, would also appear on an EP that was released under the same name. The song itself is a bouncy, enthusiastic number that is both playful and dramatic. Quite indicative of Kimbra's songwriting growth. It's also our first introduction to a recorded version of Kimbra's layered/looped vocal techniques, which were shown in this celebration during her Billie Jean performance in 2008. There are a number of videos of Kimbra performing the song with her looping approach, but I've chosen my favourite just to showcase how cool this song actually is.

The official music video for Settle Down (top) and her performance of the same song for WNYC (bottom).

Kimbra would participate in one more collaboration before she released her debut record. But it would prove to be an effort that would make Kimbra a more well known name worldwide. Of course, I'm talking about her collaboration with Gotye on a song titled Somebody That I Used To Know in 2011.

The music video for Gotye and Kimbra's Somebody That I Used To Know.

The song itself wasn't a booming success at first, but once it became a worldwide sensation, Kimbra's name was put on the map significantly quickly. Somebody That I Used To Know would eventually lead to Grammy nominations, and would win for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance and Record Of The Year in 2013.

And so, we have Kimbra. A young Kiwi songwriter who had just witnessed one of her collaborations blow up internationally, all the while having her own album gain quiet momentum in Australia and New Zealand. It would eventually go platinum in both countries (meaning at least 70,000 albums shipped in Australia and over 15,000 sold in New Zealand). The debut was a success down under, but wouldn't come out until 2012 in North America. Still, I want to discuss the album itself in the next part of this celebration, as it is a record that begs to be discussed.