TARA KANNANGARA REVEALS HER FORTHCOMING ALBUM, EXTRAORDINARY PEOPLE
Alternative pop artist Tara Kannangara has revealed the official release date for her upcoming album, Extraordinary People, set to drop on April 5, 2024 (Independent). Accompanying this announcement, she debuts her latest single, “Frank.” “
This is a song about a girl who desperately wants to fit in,” shares Tara. “She aspires to North American pop culture ideals – ideals that are both wonderful and ridiculous.”
Tara co-produced the new single with producer Michael Fong.
“We wanted the track to feel like a theme song from a 90’s sitcom, almost like an afterschool special,” describes Tara.
The feeling is upbeat even though the lyrical content is much more complex. Despite addressing themes of self-worth stemming from her teenage years, the song’s ultimate message revolves around self-acceptance. Therefore, they aimed to maintain a joyful, sometimes even nostalgic, production reminiscent of the afterschool specials she grew up with.
In Tara’s words:
“This song is written from the perspective of my teenage self, an outsider who wished she could measure up to the images on TV, fashion trends, and beauty standards. I always felt like I was a bit of an outsider but what I didn’t quite understand at the time was that my aspirations were heavily influenced by Western culture. As a young Sri Lankan woman, I was never going to meet those “Western standards” of “success,” and perhaps I was never meant to. Now with a bit of distance, I can see how my teenage aspirations were both fantastic and absurd.
I do love North American pop culture, but I do regret not appreciating the Sri Lankan culture that surrounded me everyday. I still feel like I’m making up for lost time. So this song is my attempt to make sense of the resentment and appreciation I feel for North American culture as well as the profound love I feel for the South-Asian family who raised me.”
Tara’s upcoming album will include her previously released singles “Name Song” and “Lisa Turtle,” catering to fans of Mitski, Japanese Breakfast, and The Beths with her distinctive sound.
“This EP covers the complicated topic of being a woman caught between two worlds, never feeling like I quite fit into the Western culture I was raised in or the South-Asian culture I come from,” says Tara. “Ever since I was a child, I’ve yearned for the safety of “fitting in.”
She will mark the album release with a Montreal co-bill performance alongside Corey Gulkin on Thursday, April 11, at La Sotterenea (Presented by Kickdrum and POP Montreal), followed by a Toronto co-bill show with Corey Gulkin & Essie Watts on Friday, April 12 at The Monarch (Presented by Wavelength). Tickets and info can be found at www.tarakannangara.ca.