Among the pop world’s Friday highlights, Emilia’s new single stands out, elevating her sound with a “Bodypainting” that draws on two-thousand-era influences while staying refreshingly contemporary. Doesn’t it sound a bit like the vibe of a track inspired by Justin Timberlake?
“Bodypainting” nods to Timbaland’s pop era around 2008 (the Shock Value period), with electro textures and rhythm-driven acoustic guitars that recall that time, yet it also carries a hyperpop patina that calls to mind April Grey’s recent “Do It.” Yet Emilia injects considerably more sexuality into it, plus a nearly meowing melody that feels closer to Doja Cat.
“Bodypainting” is, of course, the quintessential pop innuendo: Emilia is implying that her guy gets her wet the moment he touches her. “I’m so hot it burns,” she sings. We thought it might be an anthem about squirting, but in truth it doesn’t go that far. Although her video adds extra layers.
Years after Katy Perry’s cupcake breasts and Lady Gaga’s machine-gun breasts, Emilia arrives with her own boombox breasts, and in her new single “Bodypainting” serves up one of her most catchy tracks yet. A song that feels instantly like a daily hit.
