Kelsie Kimberlin’s “Perfume” ~ A Sonic Scent You’ll Want to Chase!
- Esther
- 7 days ago
- 4 min read
Kelsie Kimberlin doesn’t just release music, she unveils new dimensions. When we last encountered her, she was weaving emotional resilience into sonic activism, pairing bold pop sensibilities with stories that mattered. Now, just a month later, she’s back with “Perfume”, a track that proves her artistry is as versatile as it is visceral. Where her past releases roared with defiance, “Perfume” seduces with subtlety. It’s a spell cast in synths, memory, and metaphor, inviting us to lean in close, because every line carries a whisper, and every beat leaves a trace. If you thought you knew what to expect from Kimberlin, think again. This is pop with presence, and once it finds you, it doesn’t let go!
There’s something about scent that transcends language. One whiff, and suddenly you’re back in a childhood memory, a lost summer, or, as Kelsie Kimberlin would argue, the very moment you fell in love. The track begins with a swirl of ambient synths and chilled-out arpeggios, the kind that hover like morning fog before the day begins. There’s an unspoken invitation in the air, one that materializes as Kimberlin sings -
“Come see my basket’s full, holding all the different scents / I can’t wait to show you, come sit here and have a look...”
Her voice is soft, welcoming, yet laced with intrigue. It’s a delicate introduction that wastes no time building into something far more magnetic. Kimberlin invites into a sensory world built entirely on metaphor. This isn’t just flirtation; it’s enchantment cloaked in aromatic symbolism. The “basket” of scents becomes a metaphor for emotional complexity, romantic curiosity, and maybe even the calculated allure of someone who knows exactly how captivating they are.
But the lyrics don’t rest on just being poetic, they tell a story. Once the bass and percussion drop, so does the infatuation -
“You fall down at my feet, now you’re acting like a fool / Your heart’s beating boom boom boom, and your tongue is all tied up...”
She sings, with a wink and a whip of power. This is seduction delivered with poise, less femme fatale and more enchanting siren who understands her pull. The rhythm mirrors the lyrics’ momentum, as if the boy in the song is being swept away in real time.
The chorus is pure pop gold in its hookiness but also striking in its control -
"Boy, come in my room, drawn by sweet perfume / Boy, you know you’re doomed, yeah, by my sweet perfume..."
The lines carry a theatrical twist, echoing the melodrama of a perfume ad but grounded by genuine emotion. There’s something addictive about the way she sings “doomed”, not as a threat, but as an inevitability. It’s playful, but it’s also possessive. Kimberlin plays with power dynamics here, suggesting that love, when it smells this sweet, is more trap than choice.
Just when you think the metaphor’s run its course, she tightens the grip with the post-chorus section -
"Everywhere you go, you’re followed by my scent / You will always know what it is I meant..."
It’s subtle, but there’s a shift here. The scent becomes more than attraction, it’s memory. It’s a lingering imprint, an emotional ghost that trails behind the subject wherever they go. Kimberlin plays with this beautifully, letting the lyrics imply that even once love moves on, its essence sticks like a signature fragrance. The repetition of “Na, na, na, na, na...” in the outro isn’t filler, it’s hypnotic, like the smell you catch on a coat weeks after someone’s left the room. It keeps circling back, just as the scent does, just as the memory does.
What’s particularly fascinating is how "Perfume" manages to reinterpret and reclaim its inspiration. Kelsie has cited Patrick Süskind’s "Perfume" as an influence, the dark tale of obsession, scent, and madness. But where that story takes a disturbing turn, Kimberlin flips the narrative. Here, scent isn’t something to be stolen; it’s something to be given, shared, and remembered. Her version of seduction is mutual, tender, and conscious. It’s powerful, yes, but never cruel. Behind the music lies a deeper story, one that stretches beyond the borders of genre and into the real world. The music video, self-directed and filmed in Kyiv, Ukraine, pairs the song’s intimate metaphor with the stark reality of a country still at war. As Kimberlin walks the cobblestone streets in silence, occasionally embraced by a partner who trails behind her, we’re reminded that love, too, can be quiet and haunting. The tragedy that unfolded after the shoot, the loss of 15-year-old Mariya Troyanovskaya in a Russian drone strike, adds a sobering sense of gravity. Kimberlin’s dedication of the song to her is a poignant gesture that makes the perfume metaphor all the more potent: memory, grief, love, they all linger.
Kimberlin herself continues to impress not only as a vocalist but as a conceptual artist. With over 100 original songs under her belt, and a slew of releases that pair thoughtful lyricism with global activism, she’s an artist who doesn’t just write hooks, she builds emotional worlds. Her upcoming film about Ukrainian resilience, for which “Perfume” forms part of the soundtrack, is further proof of her commitment to using music as both art and action. She’s not chasing trends, she’s crafting an identity. So go ahead and press play, take a breath, and let “Perfume” pull you under. Kelsie Kimberlin has bottled something rare - a pop song that lingers like memory and moves like art. Stream it, share it, and let it follow you long after the final chorus fades. Because some scents and some songs are unforgettable for a reason! Check it out below!
You can check out and follow Kelsie Kimberlin’s artistic journey on her website here - https://kelsiekimberlin.com
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