It seems like only yesterday since Canadian singer Kinga released his first single, Sexy Boy. “It was the 80s,” he says with a laugh. “I was a teenager, and everyone was making a record, so I made one, too.” Kinga may act off-hand about his accomplishment, but to his credit, Sexy Boy made the Toronto music scene take notice. In 1988, his self-released double A-side 7” single caught the attention of the “Spirit Of Radio” CFNY (now The Edge 102.1 FM). Written by Kinga and Dan Madison, the radio friendly synth track with lyrics suiting Kinga’s then-androgynous image caught the media’s attention. CBC-TV filmed his first live performance at Toronto’s legendary Diamond Club and profiled him on air. Within the year, the song garnered him a Casby Award nomination and a record deal with Amok Records.
By mid-1989, Sexy Boy, the 12″ dance mix, was released. The Record review stated: “Kinga slicks and purrs.” “Nervy, NRGetic Euro-slanted sass.” The 12” release led to a Toronto Music Award nomination and the position as the opening act for Deee-Lite (Groove Is In The Heart). Unsure if Canada was ready for an artist of his visual and musical style, Kinga moved to New York City in the 90’s. There, he continued his prolific writing, amassing over 40-recorded tracks. But much to his surprise, his sideline career as a makeup artist took him in an unexpected direction, travelling the
world with Roberta Flack and Neil Sedaka.
After some years in New York City, Kinga returned to Toronto to discover that a DJ had uploaded Sexy Boy on Youtube. That led to inquiries from around the world as to where to stream the track. Unavailable in digital format; and hard to find on vinyl, Kinga decided to undertake a re-issue. But with the emergence of Covid, he was forced to make the difficult decision to hold off.
During this time, he wrote new tracks, reworked Sexy Boy and got his voice back to how it sounded in 1988. Kinga proudly attests to the values of remaining drug and alcohol-free. “My voice is as vibrant as it was thirty years ago.” And his youthful appearance, now minus the makeup, is also a testament to his lifestyle.
In October 2022, Kinga made his first digital appearance on streaming platforms with a remake of Sexy Boy. Reviewers compared it to Spin Me Round by Dead or Alive. Other reviewers compared his voice to Boy George and George Michael. “These are the same comparisons I received in the 80s,” he says proudly.
Coming full circle, in March 2023, Kinga released, Something’s Gotta Give, his first new single in three decades. Written by Kinga and two longtime writing partners, Something’s Gotta Give plays upon his 80s and 90s influences yet offers the sound of the moment. “The purpose of the song is to
entertain,” says Kinga. “I am not looking to reinvent the wheel, or make any sort of statement in particular.” And reviewer BillCS agrees, “The song does a great job of distracting you away from your daily toils.”
“Music icons like George Michael and Prince molded my musicality and syncopation of lyrics,” says Kinga. “My goal is to follow suit. Something’s Gotta Give is a basic love song. I spotlight the sometimes complicated facets of being in love.”~”…Kinga brings that nonstop dance beat …a club hit … lots of energy, lots of sweat and just the way you would picture a rave back in the 1990’s but with a more modern twist now. This just feels like such a strong dance anthem and we need more of those.”
Stream the new single below.
