AIKO — ‘HUNGER’ FT. TEYA

Writer’s Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Aiko and TEYA are the explosive pairing you didn’t know you needed. Both are incredible musicians in their own right and therefore provide twice the power for this collaboration. The cover alone is a piece of art – with the two girls displaying an effortless coolness that we could only hope to achieve – and the song itself is both relatable and fiercely empowering.

It starts with a hypnotizing beat and Aiko’s equally entrancing voice. Her enunciation of the words instantly grabs your attention; her delivery of the lines “Why are you mad? Nothing personal about it” is sassy and provocative, immediately setting the tone for the rest of the song. In the second verse, TEYA kicks in with a voice that’s dripping with confidence. She knows how to use her low register, creating an exciting contrast between the verse and the chorus.

In the bridge, the line “Hunger is all I know, I know my body is for show” hits incredibly hard – it’s a universally acknowledged but mostly hushed up truth and in this song, it’s presented in one poetic and poignant line. This lyric is repeated and altered throughout the bridge, with Aiko’s voice perfectly blending into TEYA’s, eventually building up to the inevitable beat drop.

Lyrically, the song is straight-forward and candid. There are no euphemisms and the girls are not holding back. Every line triggers the urge to nod along violently, jump up and shout in agreement. While the lyrics are definitely the best part of the track, the heavy production also perfectly aids the storytelling by taking up increasingly more space throughout the song.

Aiko, who was born in Moscow, raised in the Czech Republic and now lives in London, has a lot more in common with Austrian-Serbian singer TEYA than just their multicultural background and their colourful hair. While TEYA represented Austria at last year’s Eurovision Song Contest together with SALENA, Aiko will perform for the Czech Republic at this year’s Eurovision in just a couple of weeks. Apart from that, they’re also known for their impressive songwriting chops and “Hunger” is further proof for that.

With a run time of 2:41 minutes, the song is comparatively short, however, this gives it even more of a statement-like flair and therefore works in its favour. Here’s to hoping for another collaboration between Aiko and TEYA!