It seems that the new big stars of this generation are only getting younger and younger. Artists like Olivia Rodrigo and Billie Eilish have achieved massive success in their young careers, including multiple Grammy wins, and neither are even 21 yet. Makes you think about where your life is going, doesn’t it?
But another artist to add to that list of young stars includes 18 year old The Kid LAROI. The Australian native had a massive 2021, as he concluded his #1 mixtape series, “F*CK LOVE,” which included the #1 Billboard hit, “Stay” with Justin Bieber. And with “Stay” having over a billion streams on Spotify and still remaining in the Billboard Hot 100 top ten, it seems hard to follow up a song like that. Nonetheless, LAROI is ready to move onto his debut album, and he starts off with a bang with his long awaited new song, “Thousand Miles.”
Snippets of “Thousand Miles” had been floating around for over a year, with LAROI even performing the song without it being released. However, April 22 finally saw the release of the song, as he explained in an Instagram caption of how the track came to be.
“I wrote this song when I first met my now girlfriend. I really liked her but I knew at the time I couldn’t give her the relationship she deserved due to the direction my life was heading,” LAROI said on the post about the song. “It’s me telling her to stay a thousand miles away from me because I didn’t want to hurt her.”
The track is a mirror of this statement, as LAROI is asking his now girlfriend to leave him alone before things go awry.
“Oh you should let it go, you’re better off alone, / cause I’m about to f**k it up with you,” LAROI sings.
It’s kind of funny, considering he was singing “I need you to stay” on his last summer hit.
The track is really short, as it runs just under three minutes, but it still has that summer hit vibe to it. The song is definitely something you can vibe out to on a warm summer night while driving and singing with your friends. Especially with it’s memorable and catchy hook.
“And I will never change. / I couldn’t even if I wanted to for you, oh-oh. / There’s nothing left to say. / If I was you, if I was you, / Then I would stay a thousand miles away,” sings LAROI.
“Thousand Miles” is the lead single for LAROI’s debut album, which is presumably titled, “Kids Are Growing Up.” LAROI hasn’t given too many details of the project but has said it’s almost done and has teased various snippets of potential songs on the album, including songs with Don Toliver, Nardo Wick and Fivio Foreign.
The track also came with a music video, which released the same night as the song. The video depicts LAROI as he keeps getting killed by an evil version of himself who wears red. Whether it’s from a falling piano or electrocution, LAROI just couldn’t seem to run away from his bad side. In the end of the video, his doppelganger steals his girlfriend, as they both watch LAROI in a wheelchair get hit by a truck. Ouch.
The music video had a pretty smart concept. It seems like the video was depicting that nothing but trouble comes with LAROI, as he was constantly getting hurt and eventually lost out on his girlfriend. It may be his way of showing that he’s vulnerable and would be better off alone because he always gets hurt.
“Thousand Miles” has the potential to be The Kid LAROI’s next summer hit. The catchiness and the great vocals on the track are definitely something you’re gonna be hearing on the radio all summer long. And as LAROI works towards his new album, it’s clear he has superstar potential for the future.
This story was written by Rashad Alexander. He can be reached at [email protected].
