I accidentally stumbled upon Fern Kinney’s music a couple of weeks ago while listening to a playlist curated by Norwegian producer, Lindstrøm. If you like R&B fused disco funk, you should absolutely check out his playlist on Spotify. I was intrigued by Fern Kinney’s unique blend of vocals and funky electro, and after reading about her history as a musician, I was surprised to find that her most famous works gave her the title of a “one-hit wonder.” I was surprised only because the song that I had latched onto, the one you can listen to below, is not the song she gained most of her fame for. In other words, it wasn’t her one-hit. She gained fame for her rendition of King Floyd’s, “Groove Me” (which is also freaky funky) in particular.
For some reason I am eerily fascinated by artists who are given the “one-hit wonder” title. I think it’s because I feel like they were cheated into a title that they didn’t choose. It’s not like they wanted it for themselves — if anything, they probably have the same slightly sad association in their heads that I have when I hear the phrase, like the rest of their work will be automatically dismissed by listeners.
Well, not today. Perhaps that is why I sought out knowledge on what Fern Kinney’s background was like. I wanted so badly not to believe the stereotype. And you know what? I was right. She’s a phenomenal musician with an exquisite ability to make me, the listener, want to move. I can’t speak for all of you, but I’d definitely be surprised to meet someone who didn’t feel emotionally (and physically) moved by her tasteful tunes.