Valentine’s Day may have passed, but for a true yearner, the season of longing is never over—at least, according to alternative pop singer-songwriter Sarah Kinsley. On Sept. 26 of last year, Kinsley dropped her new single,“Fleeting,” two long years after the release of her debut album, “Escaper.” The album boasted Kinsley’s heavenly-sounding voice, ethereal instrumentation and beautiful lyricism, and ever since then, I have been craving even more from her. Finally, on Friday, Feb. 13, Kinsley dropped her fifth EP. Also named “Fleeting,” the work adds to her already stellar discography. While classically-trained Kinsley has been writing, producing and releasing music since 2019, for myself and many others, our first introduction to her was in 2021 when her track “The King” blew up on TikTok. The iconic song features a dizzying piano accompaniment, a driving drum beat, stunning synths and, of course, Kinsley’s soaring high notes. “The King” is the epitome of Kinsley’s sound, showing off what she does best—but I promise, it only goes up from here.
In 2022, Kinsley’s music transformed forever. Before the release of her EP “Cypress,” Kinsley started posting TikToks flaunting the use of her contact microphone. In one TikTok, she asserted, “My contact mic has changed everything about how I make this new record.” Many of Kinsley’s videos feature her with piezoelectric disk sensors taped to her throat or her light switch-fitted contact mic pressed to her mouth or neck; as Kinsley sings, the device helps create an unbelievable, siren-like effect that truly transforms her voice. From then on, Kinsley and her contact mic have been inseparable. In a 2025 interview for the Grammy Recording Academy’s series “It Goes to 11,” Kinsley explains more about her contact mic and her relationship to the device: “I find that the sound of it and the way that it represents me helps me to evoke feeling that I can’t express through language sometimes.” The use of her contact mic is subtle throughout “Fleeting,” but I find that this is the power of the device—it only enhances her incredible talent.
The opening track, “Lonely Touch,” released as a single on Jan. 9, starts like most of Kinsley’s other songs with a punchy drum beat, otherworldly synths and striking piano chords. But the meaning of “Lonely Touch” is best expressed through its music video: Kinsley, dressed in white, is surrounded by dancers wearing black, trying to mimic their flowing movements and connect through touch. The song builds and builds to finally explode in satisfying payoff as Kinsley sings about the all-consuming nature of longing for another: “I want to feel it all / The edges of your soul / One body in the dark / Where do I put my heart?” This is my favorite song off the EP because it demonstrates what Kinsley does best: alluring vocals balanced with unique instrumentation, climbing to a gorgeous climax. While I was worried the other tracks would not hold a candle to “Lonely Touch,” Kinsley managed to surpass my expectations.
Unlike the previous track, Kinsley is alone in the music video for ’80s-inspired “Truth of Pursuit.” As the listener is drawn in by her enchanting high voice, Kinsley is shown tangled in the cords of her numerous synths. The lyrics portray the aftermath of a relationship that ended despite the rush of emotion that Kinsley expressed in “Lonely Touch,” full of “what ifs” and “if onlys.” In the background, powerful drums drive the track forward, fitting in with the rest of the EP flawlessly.
“Fleeting” continues with “Reverie,” beginning with a quiet but heavenly piano solo. As the title suggests, “Reverie” is dreamy and perfect for getting lost in one’s thoughts. Usually, the more somber pieces of an album are never my favorite, but there is something raw and real about “Reverie” that tugs on my heartstrings. The ending is gut-wrenching as Kinsley sings, “You were a scapegoat for my life to unravel / It’s just a dream, don’t you get it? / It’s all a dream, just forget it.”
If your heart was broken by “Reverie,” “After All” will offer you no remorse. This song features Paris Paloma, the British singer-songwriter behind the popular 2023 female rage-fueled track “labour.” Both singers’ sweet voices meld together perfectly as they show off their full vocal range. Kinsley and Paloma describe the complex mixed feelings after the end of a relationship with sickening lyrics like “Love is not enough, after all / Love is just a man I used to call.” What makes this track the most unique from the EP is the heavenly string instruments threaded throughout, complementing Kinsley and Paloma’s distinctive and powerful vocal qualities.
After the devastation of the previous two songs, Kinsley offers up the title track, “Fleeting,” which is fun, dancey and optimistic. In the “Lonely Touch”-like music video, Kinsley pauses the dancing crowd and stops time when she puts on her glasses, dancing to her heart’s content without judgment. With this song, the journey of the EP is complete. Kinsley implores her listeners to own their full range of emotions, promising us that “It’s not forever / It’s only fleeting.” Even when you are in the midst of a difficult time, know that things will change.
Longing and heartbreak are universally felt emotional experiences, and Sarah Kinsley does an impeccable job of representing these complex feelings through “Fleeting.” The EP has everything: songs for daydreaming, for crying and for dancing. But, of course, as always, all of the tracks—and her discography as a whole!—are perfect for yearning, especially during this chilly, snow-filled February. Even as we move into the spring, I know Kinsley’s “Fleeting” will be an essential part of my music rotation, and I hope it will be for you, too.