Intentions

Max Sinàl and KingCrowney open “Intentions” with a minimal four-count break that lands sharp and laser-focused. Compressed kicks and clipped snares hit first, with just enough space between them to breathe. That glitchy little twitch that hits on the two, almost like a percussion hiccup, gives the whole thing an off-center charm. As soon as the Rhodes settles—with its slow tremolo and soft lift—the floor of the track begins to shift beneath it.

Vocalist Liv East floats to center stage, lost in thought from the jump. Her voice comes in close and tender; sultry, yet emotionally weightless. At times, it feels as if she’s thinking things through mid-sentence. There’s a “ghost that lives inside” and she sings to it like she’s lived with it for years. A tambourine sizzle creeps in as the song fans out. A trumpet broods in the back like it’s eavesdropping. A low-conga slap adds punctuation to every other bar. All the while, the keys hold the audience spellbound in long, drawn-out glances.

The message feels easy enough, though the feeling it leaves behind isn’t. “Relapse of my old ways / In the chokehold of the replays / Habits I thought I left behind / Need more healing, give me time” drops early and defines the song’s shadow. Liv brings it all in, wrestles with the squishy logic of emotional contradiction, and manages to stay cool, calm, and collected at all times. She offers up her pure intentions, unintended damage, and a clean delivery on a messy story. By the time Liv’s slow-waved “It ain’t right” ad-libs loop near the end of the track, you can almost see Max and KingCrowney nodding along nearby.

The original take of "Intentions" clocks in just under four minutes, but the extended mix is made for looping. It stays sparse, spacious, and self-assured. There’s room for stillness, rhythm, and a couple of shots of guilt for good measure. All three add their pinch of flavor to this savory dish.