KIMIKO Releases Debut EP 'Modern Dance'

# KIMIKO Releases Debut EP 'Modern Dance'

KIMIKO, the artist name of actress and voice performer Kimiko Glenn, released her debut EP Modern Dance on August 14, 2026, a five-track pop project that also arrives with a new music video for the titular single.

The EP is out now on all streaming platforms. The music video for "Modern Dance" was directed by DEATHCATS, the same team behind the EP's cover art and prior visual work for the project.

What Is on the Modern Dance EP

The full tracklist runs five songs:

1. Hang Out Forever? 2. Emotional Whiplash 3. Just Like That! 4. BIG ICK ENERGY 5. Modern Dance

The first three tracks were released as singles leading up to the EP. "Hang Out Forever?" came out in November 2025. "Emotional Whiplash" followed, and KIMIKO directed its music video herself, marking her first time in the director's chair. "Just Like That!" arrived in May 2026, with a video built around a TikTok For You page format.

"BIG ICK ENERGY" and the title track "Modern Dance" are new with the EP release.

The project is described in the press release as a diary of past relationship experiences, covering the rush of early romance and the frustrations of dating apps and emotional unavailability. KIMIKO has cited Lily Allen and Sabrina Carpenter as songwriting inspirations for the EP's tone, specifically their approach to gender and sexual politics through humor and directness.

How "Modern Dance" the Single Came Together

KIMIKO said the title track started out of frustration with someone she was dating. "It felt like a battle of 'who can care less more,'" she said in the press release. The song originally had no bridge and three full verses before she brought in her friend Morgan Karr, who performs and releases music under the name morgxn, to help solve the chorus.

"He hummed into a voice memo, and I was like, 'That's it!! You're a genius!'" she said. The song went through several production passes before landing in its current form.

The music video stars Vinny Balbo as her on-screen partner and was choreographed by Erika Soto. DEATHCATS directed the video using a split-screen technique that the release compares to the visual style of 1960s sex comedies. Scenes move through bedrooms, stages, and cars. KIMIKO noted in the release that the crew was mostly female-run and that the shoot felt "light, supportive, and fluid."

Who Is KIMIKO and What She Is Known For

Kimiko Glenn has an extensive acting career across television, film, and animation before this EP. She is probably most recognized from her role as Brook Soso on Netflix's Orange Is the New Black, where she and the cast received three Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Ensemble in a Comedy Series.

On the voice acting side, she voiced Peni Parker in both Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, and she is set to return for the third film. She voices Kiff in Disney's animated series Kiff, a role that earned her four Children and Family Emmy nominations, according to the press release. She also voiced Niffty in the animated musical Hazbin Hotel and holds the title role in Nickelodeon's Baby Shark.

Other TV credits include Broad City, Drunk History, High Maintenance, and History of the World Part II. In theater, she originated the role of Dawn in the Broadway production of Waitress, which received a 2016 Tony Award nomination for Best Musical.

Modern Dance is her first music project under the KIMIKO name.

What Independent Artists Can Learn From This Campaign

The rollout for Modern Dance ran over nine months, from the first single in November 2025 to the EP in August 2026. Each single came with a standalone music video, each video with a distinct visual concept tied to the song's subject. By the time the EP dropped, three of the five tracks already had audience attention and press coverage.

For independent artists without a major press apparatus, the structure is worth studying. You do not need to drop everything at once. A single with a strong visual idea, released consistently over time, builds more search surface area and keeps your project in conversation longer than a surprise full release. If you are working on a project with a clear theme, mapping out a rollout like this before you release anything can make each individual drop feel like news. [Submit your own releases to the SDFTP community at /submit](/submit) and check [/pass-the-aux](/pass-the-aux) for coverage opportunities on the site.

PR for Modern Dance is handled by Leigh Greaney Bush and Vic Borlando at Big Hassle Media in Los Angeles.