Grace Kay and Kirsten Izer – “WHY AM I LIKE THIS” [Song Review]

Los Angeles art-pop artist Grace Kay teams up with indie songwriter Kirsten Izer on “WHY AM I LIKE THIS,” a candid, sharp-edged pop track that turns anxious self-reflection into something wry, cathartic, and unexpectedly kinetic.

Kay shares, “‘WHY AM I LIKE THIS’ is about getting caught in a cycle of habits that don’t serve you. It’s that feeling of knowing what you should be doing but instead watching yourself spiral – fighting your inner critic, wasting time, and sitting in this purgatory of anxiety and insecurity.”

The song is cool and deliberate through the verses and then begins to unravel in the chorus, revealing the tune’s emotional honesty. Built atop polished synths, deep low-end textures, and densely stacked vocals, the track explores self-sabotaging habits with humor rather than heaviness, thus allowing self-awareness to become both the punchline and the release.

Co-written and co-produced by Kay, Izer, and Austin Foley, the genesis for the collaboration occurred after Kay and Izer shared billing at Los Angeles’ The Virgil. The track was recorded in Foley’s Glendale, California, home studio. Foley also handled mixing and mastering.

Grace Kay and Kirsten Izer

Highlighted by a dark, raw intro, “WHY AM I LIKE THIS” rolls out on a throbbing rhythm topped by resonant instruments emanating gleaming surfaces enveloped in delicious sonic shadows. Izer’s and Kay’s vocals imbue the lyrics with smoldering, evocative emotions – at once portentous and wickedly defenseless.

Slick and vulnerable, controlled and chaotic, “WHY AM I LIKE THIS” deconstructs indie pop only to reconstruct it even better.

Run Time: 3:19
Release Date: February 20, 2026
Record Label: Trailing Twelve Records