Following the recent release of her EP Chef’s Kiss, the DIY hyper-pop star ko aka koala — known for sharing stages with Charli XCX, Troye Sivan, and 100 gecs as much as her sly songwriting and “signature twist on ultra-sweet, soft sounds” (PAPER) — is sharing the new single “tic tac boom.” Listen to “tic tac boom” here.

The track keeps ko aka koala’s hyper-pop signature on the spearhead by way of glitchy percussion and her tenderhearted, high-pitched vocals. Swelling, velvety synths fill in any and all gaps left, but become the heart of the song and its singer.

Of “tic tac boom,” ko says: “It’s a sonic love story that will make your heart race. It’s about the rash decisions that you make when you’re deeply infatuated with someone. A momentary state of bliss — but while it lasts it’s a rare moment to be enjoyed.”

ko aka koala’s Chef’s Kiss came as a crystallization of her refined and wickedly sharp pop vision, and features collaborations with producers Stefan Ponce (Chance the Rapper, Childish Gambino), Shintaro Yasuda (Ariana Grande, TheWeeknd), and more. The LA-based creative stitches together k-pop, techno, and hip-hop while doing her own makeup, photography, and design work — putting the term DIY to ultimate task.

Throughout the EP, we get a fully-completed thesis, interwoven with humor and clever cultural references; highly satirical self-awareness that plays into the subversive themes throughout. Focus track “stoptryingtohavesexwithme” encapsulates the deeper message woven into the fun, while “Chef’s Kiss” is a fizzy pile-up of overt, ever-more-absurd sexual innuendos that results in a winking, winning inversion of pop-star hypersexuality. “Mankiller” — a track inspired by Britney Spears’ club-crushing electro era — boasts a towering chorus, a stack of robotic harmonies fit for a femme fatale’s murder montage. “Sorry In Advance” has a tongue-in-cheek, “ironically unironic” pop aesthetic. Propelled by DnB breakbeats and candy-colored synths reminiscent of Nicki Minaj circa Pink Friday, it’s a worthy theme song for KO’s unpredictable charms.

ko aka koala has built up a significant cult following (including her 120k Instagram followers) already with her outsized and self-styled aesthetic, sledgehammer hooks, crisp production work, and mischievous approach to pop ingenue sexual tropes. Critics have taken notice: ko aka koala already has fans at PAPER, Untitled (“exploratory, innovative pop music…her honest, experimental songs elate fans”), Hypebae, and more.