Watch This Liquid Pour Itself

Released in early 2020 on Jagjaguwar, Watch This Liquid Pour Itself marked Okay Kaya’s (Kaya Wilkins) transition from the acoustic-leaning melancholia of her debut, Both, into a more sophisticated, synth-driven art-pop space. The album was primarily recorded and produced with collaborators like Jacob Portrait (Unknown Mortal Orchestra), resulting in a sound that is simultaneously more polished and more claustrophobic. The record is notable for its 'liquid' sonic palette - heavy use of chorus effects, sub-bass, and wet reverbs that evoke a sense of submersion. Lyrically, Wilkins explores the mundane and the medical with a dark, satirical wit, touching on themes of 'asexual wellbeing,' mental health facilities, and the absurdity of self-care. Critically, it was praised for its unique 'deadpan pop' aesthetic, positioning Wilkins as a leading voice in the bedroom-pop-adjacent art-pop scene of the early 2020s.