Los Angeles-based artist K.O. today shares her unapologetic second single, “Mean Gurl,” produced in collaboration with Tommy Brown (Ariana Grande, Blackpink, Justin Bieber) and Xavi (Megan the Stallion, Flo Milli, NLE Choppa). Listen to “Mean Gurl” HERE, watch the video K.O. created herself inspired by gaming culture and Twitch HERE, and catch her live tonight with Tommy Brown via Twitch at 7PM (PT).

Says Hypebae who tapped the multi-faceted artist for a BAEwatch spotlight, “Encouraging everyone to be unapologetically themselves, K.O. says we should all become “mean gurls” … the track boasts a deep bass sequence with catchy rap verses, while the accompanying visuals — set in a virtual space reminiscent of Tokyo and Hong Kong‘s neon-lit streets — show an anime-inspired avatar fighting a robot in a boxing ring.”

The track finds K.O. rapping for the first time and playing with the idea of hard and soft: twinkling melodies and saccharine textures coming up against her fierce presence and her brash, acerbic lyrics which, when not proclaiming her own savagery, are rolling eyes at the predictability of her haters.

Says K.O. about “Mean Gurl,” “This is the type of song that girls (or anyone for that matter) can put on to feel confident and not take sh*t from anyone. Sometimes we can be ‘too nice’ which can make other people take advantage of us. It’s not to say that you shouldn’t be nice, but sometimes you have to be mean to stand up for yourself. You’ll probably get called a b*tch and that’s okay.” 

Born in Florida, K.O. spent much of her childhood moving around different parts of the world before eventually settling in Los Angeles. Without a fixed place to derive her sense of belonging from, she instead learned how to become a world-builder, combining her love of anime, video games, left-leaning hip hop, techno and pop into something wholly and uniquely her own. Prior to releasing her own music, K.O. honed in on her sound performing as a DJ on line-ups with Charli XCX, Father, Dylan Brady, Troye Sivan, Dorian Electra, TisaKorean, and more.

Her work as an artist carries this auteurist sensibility over into her multifaceted career, which has thus far spanned fashion, music, visual art, and more. As K.O., she creates music that is syrupy and acidic in equal measures, marrying the blush-inducing attitude of Megan Thee Stallion, the high-gloss productions of Blackpink and the relentless genre blasphemy of 100 gecs.

“Mean Gurl” by K.O. is out now, buy/stream it on Spotify, Apple Music, and more.