Hana McElroy, or Hana Bryanne as she is known on TikTok, took the video-sharing app by storm using just her guitar and her clever lyrics. Since she was last featured on the B-Side, McElroy has transformed her viral 15-second clip into a full-fledged single titled “Klepto.” The song is complex and dynamic, filled with stark imagery and raw emotion. This is her second single, following “Holy Ground” which was released before her EP of the same name.
“Klepto” starts out quiet, but strong, with swelling strings paired with the guitar and cutting lyricism. The first verse introduces the concepts of criminality and violence, describing headlocks and knife fights. The percussion builds on the other instruments as it leads up to the yolk of the song that captured viral attention from the internet.
McElroy’s audience was captivated when they heard her sing “curse the fist, love the bruise, blame it on your tattoos.” The vivid descriptions of a life of crime mix with a depiction of home as the subject of the song are introduced: a kleptomaniac whose crime is stealing the face of their mother. McElroy sings, “you still look like your mom with your makeup all gone,” and quickly suggests to the subject of the song: “you should call before things get too bad.” Halfway through the song, the pace changes. The music stops and a distinction is drawn between the two halves of the song.
The second half begins with more of what McElroy has shared on TikTok. Paired with a twangy banjo that plays intermittently in the background, the latter part of the song builds much like the first half. In this part, she asked rhetorically and desperately of the “boys [who] have been fleeing since the summer rolled around,” “don’t they know the world is over everywhere by now?” She continues on with the religious imagery she often uses in her EP when she admits that she has “to know if the angels really have a thousand eyes.” The last line before the outro is a strikingly candid confession that ties up the whole song: “everything I hate about myself is just you in disguise.” The final push is a burst of unleashed energy with more banjo and powerful backing vocals that close out the song with beautiful harmonies as it fades out.
“Klepto” can be listened to on most streaming platforms. It is powerful and enthralling and truly some of Hana Bryanne’s best work.
Article by Baylie Raddon
Photos by Cat Dinh