Bookended by a Jungle Book sample and a snippet of annoying Navi dialogue from Ocarina of Time, you’d think Malik’s new single “Kaa’s Song” would be a dusty throwback, some childhood nostalgia soaked reminiscence of how much better things were back in the day. But luckily that’s not the case, instead it’s an ageless oddity, a slice of Blackstreet-era Teddy Riley production supporting an especially on point Malik, mixing club friendly hooks and critic friendly lyrical verve. Malik’s 2015 album The Principium landed him some supporters who saw ample promise in Malik’s style and dedication, but “Kaa’s Song” already outstrips everything on that release, indicating that the promise that that work hinted at is going to be fully unveiled in 2016. But why not listen for yourself and tell us what you think?
