Kimmortal is a queer non-binary pilipinx artist from Vancouver who has been releasing music for over five years now, initially making a splash with Sincerity back in 2014. Now, Kimmortal takes a big next step in their career with the ambitious album, X Marks the Swirl.

Working with producers David Tallarico and Braeden Rangno, X Marks the Swirl is all about looking for love and acceptance when you don’t neatly fit inside any box. It has its moments of anger and hurt, as Kimmortal acknowledges that their journey has not been an easy one, but this album is about getting to the place where you can accept yourself, make art that is an expression of that acceptance, and then welcome others to get to know you through the art. As anyone who has seen Kimmortal live can attest to, there is a lot of passion and energy and charisma that comes pouring through the music when Kimmortal hops on the mic, and X Marks the Swirl does a great job of capturing that and translating it to a studio album. The opening track, “Stars,” featuring JB The First Lady and Missy D is a beautiful and pop-friendly R&B-flavored hip hop track about finding power within yourself. “Ice Palaces” shows that Kimmortal is just as talented as a vocalist as they are as an emcee, over a really tender ukulele-driven melody. “Questions?” features a huge beat and bright melody that takes the journey of self-discovery and dealing with feelings of not fitting into society and turns it into a summer jam that you’ll want blast out of your speakers. Likewise, “Sad Femme Club” draws on some Danchall/Trap production that absolutely bangs, but also features the great hook of “Welcome to the Sad Femme Club – You are enough!” There’s a lot of ups and down to the album, with some really tender and personal moments, and some loud and brash declarations of self-worth. The music matches the message note for note, with Kimmortal rapping and singing their heart out along the way.

It’s always a pleasure to see an artist make the album you knew they had in them. I had the distinct pleasure of seeing Kimmortal at SXSW in 2018, and was absolutely blown away, and I knew something special was around the corner. X Marks the Swirl is finally here, and it’s just as special as I knew it was going to be.