Kentö

"My parents are lightening and soda pop," writes pop newcomer Kentö on his Facebook page, which is a pretty darn good way to sum up his peppy brand of electro-edged pop. The up and coming Brazilian/Japanese crooner worked with none other than pop maestro Frankmusik to develop a sleek and distinct sound for his forthcoming debut EP. Point in case is his crispy new single, entitled "Complicated," that was co-written by Frankmusik, and produced by Frankmusik, Kentö, Planet Purple and Z. Nishizawa. Inspired by artists as diverse as Elvis Presley, Robyn and Phoenix, Kentö started singing at the age of 6 and recorded his first demos on a series of old tape recorder decks. Now based in Los Angeles, the international capital of pop, he just put the finishing touches on his yet-to-be-titled debut EP that he will release independently via Popsonik Records this upcoming spring. "Ever since I could remember I knew I would be a singer," he writes on Facebook. "My life is crazy now, traveling between Tokyo, Los Angeles, and Sao Paulo, working with some of the raddest people. I wouldn't change a thing." The expertly-crafted "Complicated" is a promising peek at Kentö's EP that reportedly also features a cover of Bjork's "Hyper-Ballad." Frankmusik has his crafty (and infinitely talented) hands all over "Complicated." The track is dominated by a soaring pre-chorus, raving synths, tribal drums and an amped up, adventurous middle-eight (a Frankmusik trademark) with some subtle vocal chops. Add to that meaningful lyrics with clever wordplay like, "lost my cause 'cause I was losing it all," and what you have is a potent pop confection that will surely put Kentö on the map in 2013.