''Kills'' is a

mixtape A mixtape (alternatively mix-tape, mix tape or mixed tape) is a compilation of music, typically from multiple sources, recorded onto a medium. With origins in the 1980s, the term normally describes a homemade compilation of music onto a cassette ...

by jj, released on Christmas Eve 2010.

Background

The mixtape was first mentioned by Elin from jj in a video interview for Swedish National Television while on tour in Europe. The title for the mixtape was though never revealed. First when the lead single from the mixtape, "Let Them", was released on October 12, the title of the mixtape was revealed to be ''Kills'' (also ''jj kills'' or ''jj fucking kills''). Being a mixtape, ''Kills'' was released completely for free, as a direct download, at Sincerely Yours website on

Christmas Eve Christmas Eve is the evening or entire day before Christmas Day, the festival commemorating the birth of Jesus. Christmas Day is observed around the world, and Christmas Eve is widely observed as a full or partial holiday in anticipation ...

2010. After just three days since being released, ''Kills'' had been downloaded more than 30,000 times, a number generated from only two of the several

file hosting service A file-hosting service, cloud-storage service, online file-storage provider, or cyberlocker is an internet hosting service specifically designed to host user files. It allows users to upload files that could be accessed over the internet afte ...

s. After one week of release, the number had increased to over 42,000 downloads, and as of January 21, 2011, ''Kills'' had been downloaded over 80,000 times from these two links alone. These links were then deleted. Before the release, no other tracks besides from "Let Them" was confirmed to be on the mixtape, although several songs containing samples and jj vocals had been played on different dj-sets by members of jj. For example, the song "New Work" which has vocals by jj and contains samples from

Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and founder of Manhattan-based conglomerate talent and entertainment agency Roc Nation. He is regarded as one of ...

Empire State of Mind "Empire State of Mind" is a song performed by American rapper Jay-Z featuring American singer Alicia Keys from the former's 11th studio album, '' The Blueprint 3'' (2009). It was released on October 20, 2009. Produced by Al Shux, the song featur ...

and lyrics from

Broder Daniel Broder Daniel (Swedish for ''Brother Daniel''), often abbreviated as BD, was an alternative rock band from Gothenburg, Sweden. They formed in the late 1980s and then consisted of classmates Henrik Berggren and Daniel Gilbert. The band claims they ...

's "Work". As mentioned in an interview made as early as February 2010, the songs on the mixtape all "blended together" and created a completely seamless record. On December 17, a poster and a trailer for ''Kills'' was published on Sincerely Yours website, then confirming that the release date will be December 24, 2010.

Music video

A music video for the first single from the mixtape, "Let Them", was released on December 20, 2010 on Sincerely Yours website. The video, directed by Olivia Kastebring, featured band members Joakim Benon and Elin Kastlander and was mainly location shot inside a church. This single was renamed, remixed, and rerecorded for the mixtape-version, changing the name from "Let Them" to "Kill Them".

Track listing

References

{{Authority control 2010 mixtape albums JJ (Swedish band) albums Secretly Canadian albums Albums free for download by copyright owner