By now, Kylie Jenner’s ability to turn every facet of her identity into a brand is the stuff of modern legend.
Lip kits, skincare, tequila, fashion collabs – each product a glossy mirror reflecting the vastness of her commercial reach.
But with the release of her new single, Fourth Strike, under the musical persona King Kylie, Jenner has entered a new era: one where branding doesn’t just accompany art, but fully consumes it.
The song, a collaboration with electro-pop duo Terror Jr, is framed as both a wink to the past and a marketing reboot.
Nearly a decade ago, Terror Jr’s Three Strikes soundtracked the debut campaign for Kylie Cosmetics lip glosses, sparking rumors that Jenner herself was the secret vocalist.
Those whispers have now been folded neatly back into the marketing narrative.
As Jenner explained in a breathless Instagram caption announcing her feature, ‘there was a little rumor 10 years ago that i was the one actually singing on 3 strikes! it wasn’t me (wish it was) so i had the idea to come together for fourth strike and it would actually be ME FEATURED!’
In Fourth Strike, Jenner coos and half-raps lines like ‘One strike, two strike, let me get the mood right’ before whispering her new alias: King Kylie.
The moniker, resurrected from her Tumblr-core 2014 aesthetic, now headlines a relaunch of her cosmetics line from that same period.
The single doubles as a soundtrack for the King Kylie Collection commercial, in which Jenner plays a prisoner newly released and whisked away by her mother, Kris Jenner, in a black convertible.
Online, the reception has ranged from amusement to bewilderment.
‘I can’t tell if she’s rapping or singing — the autotune got me dizzy but yaaass King Kylie,’ tweeted @elconejomaol.
Others were less charitable. ‘Kylie… maybe let the professionals handle the music,’ wrote @MuanaMboka_. @FansJre added, ‘Kylie Jenner doing rap verses now? We’ve officially entered the multiverse of madness.’
But the most biting critique came from @ItsSelenaMaris, who summed up the unease many listeners felt: ‘It’s wild how Kylie thinks reciting recycled vibes counts as a “verse” 💀 Every line sounds like it was mixed on autopilot and ghostwritten by an algorithm. Zero emotion. Zero originality. Pure brand packaging masquerading as art.’
All of Kylie Jenner’s ventures
Beauty & Skincare
- Kylie Cosmetics – launched in 2015 as Kylie Lip Kits, later expanded into a full cosmetics brand.
- Kylie Skin – skincare line launched in 2019.
- Kylie Swim – swimwear line introduced in 2021 (briefly active).
- Kylie Baby – baby and maternal products line launched in 2021.
- Cosmic by Kylie Jenner – fragrance and scent line launched in 2024.
Fashion & Apparel
- Kendall + Kylie – fashion line with sister Kendall, launched in collaboration with PacSun in 2012.
- KHY – high-end ready-to-wear and capsule fashion label launched in 2023.
- Bratz x Kylie – collectible dolls collaboration with MGA Entertainment (2023).
Food & Beverage
- Sprinter – canned vodka soda brand launched in 2024.
Media & Entertainment
- Keeping Up with the Kardashians – main cast member (2007–2021).
- Life of Kylie – personal reality series (2017).
- The Kardashians – ongoing Hulu series (2022–present).
Collaborations & Endorsements
- Numerous brand deals and co-branded releases (Balmain x Kylie Cosmetics, Ulta Beauty partnerships, Puma, Adidas, etc.).
- Regular partnerships through Kylie Cosmetics with family members (e.g. Kylie x Kris, Kylie x Kendall collections).
@fifida3 put it most simply: ‘This is embarrassingly bad.’
That last phrase – ‘brand packaging masquerading as art’ – might as well be the mission statement of this release.
Fourth Strike isn’t a song so much as a branded memory loop, designed to reawaken nostalgia for the early days of Kylie Cosmetics and monetize it anew. Jenner’s whispered King Kylie isn’t a declaration of artistic rebirth but a trademark tag aimed at upping lipgloss sales.
Terror Jr themselves seem almost incidental here.
Jenner’s forthcoming acting role in Charli XCX’s A24 film The Moment might offer a better outlet for her creative ambitions.
But Fourth Strike feels less like a debut single and more like a press release set to a beat, proof that when everything becomes content, even music can’t escape the marketing department.
In the end, King Kylie isn’t the dawn of a new pop persona. It’s the sound of the influencer economy eating its own reflection.
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