In the last two years, MkX has quietly been accomplishing things a lot of his contemporaries have only hoped to – from amassing an online following to producing several sleeper hits in the American underground, his indie career has been going as good as it gets, and in the new single “Fall” and its accompanying music video, he reflects on his successes with a refreshing rap sound a lot of critics probably weren’t expecting to hear. His is a surprisingly venomous attack, but devoted fans needn’t fear; as far as melodicism goes, what made most of us fall in love with his sound in the first place has been left perfectly intact.

More on MkX: https://www.mkxmusic.com/

MkX’s vocal is arguably more focused than ever before in “Fall,” but I don’t think this is solely because of how he’s developed his rapping skills for this performance. He’s being a lot more deliberate in his timing than he has been previously, and although this definitely isn’t the first time he’s dazzled me with his command of the verses, I don’t know that he’s ever come across as sounding quite as on top of the beat as he does in this instance. I like his moxie, but better than this, I’m inspired by his exponential growth as a lyricist.

The music video for “Fall” reinforces a sense of authenticity for his persona through the most surprising of means – minimalism. In making a video entirely on his own amid the COVID-19 crisis, we’re actually privy to a vulnerable side of his artistry that was accessible only through a limited scope prior to what he puts together here. There’s something special about a basic format when it’s colorized with the passion we find in this song, and if MkX can harness it on a regular basis, he’ll no doubt outgrow the underground sooner than later.

There’s a sweet punch to the percussion here that makes the beat as sexy as the lead vocal is, and on a couple of occasions I would say that the drums are even more responsible for setting up the mood behind the melody than any other component in the track is. Multilayered mixes aren’t a new thing for MkX, but cerebral craftsmanship ala the 2:43 mark of “Fall” simply wasn’t present in this man’s discography pre-2020. He’s grown into his sound beautifully, and this is evidence proving as much to listeners and critics the same.

MkX drops another white-hot jam in “Fall” that despite being made for a nightclub crowd sounds like the perfect jam to round out a lousy 2020 with. Whether you’re in the mood to shake your hips or simply want to feel the intensity of a synthetic melody in all of its unfiltered glory, this is a singer and songwriter who has all of your needs covered here, and I don’t think I’m going to be the only professional critic remarking as much as the year comes to a close. I’ve been following this guy for a while, but I can honestly say I didn’t see him developing as well as he has in this powerful new studio cut.

John McCall