Here’s Poppy’s New Song, “Khaos X4”

Rising metal crossover star Poppy has released a new song, “Khaos X4,” which will appear as a bonus track on her upcoming deluxe edition re-release of her early 2020 album, I Disagree. Huzzah!

Those who dismissed Poppy as trying too hard to ape Babymetal’s sound might have a bone to pick with this one. Hard to disagree with that assertion; “Khaos X4” uses a lot of the same songwriting tactics as Japan’s young metal ladies, such as high-pitched gang-vocal refrains and the juxtaposition of soft and hard parts in a specific, comic book-like way. Speaking as a huge Poppy fan — going back to her previous album, Am I a Girl? — I get it. My favorite Poppy is the Poppy that doesn’t lean too hard into either metal or pop, striking that balance just right (“Fill the Crown” is a great example from her most recent affair).

That said, I still like the song! It’s a catchy little ditty with some fun, shred-tastic metal parts. And there will be three more unreleased songs like it on I Disagree More, as the re-release has been dubbed, which comes out August 14 via Sumerian (pre-order). Jam it below.