New York native, queer singer-songwriter Kat Cunning is no stranger to the stage. After earning a BFA in dance, performing on Broadway with Cirque du Soleil, and recently landing a recurring role on HBO, Kat has transitioned to the third aspect of the triple threat, and found a home in singing. In her new single, “Wild Poppies,” loosely based on The Wizard of Oz, she explores the idea of “a version of The Wizard of Oz where Dorothy doesn’t come home.” Cunning’s sultry, velvet voice perfectly intensifies the tragic lyrics “The courage to / See through you’d have kept me blind / We’re face to face / And I’ve pulled the curtain wide.” The passion of Lorde mixed with the pop feel of Billie Eilish results in a caramel-smooth stripped-down pop ballad of love, pain, and coming to terms with the truth of a relationship. She returned to her home of New York after finishing a sold-out national tour with singer-songwriter LP, and you can catch her live at House of Yes tonight (June 13th). – Lily Crandall, photo by Ben Trivett