Kerli brings "Bubble Goth" to America

Kerli brings "Bubble Goth" to America

Most Americans have never heard of Kerli, an Estonian pop artist signed with Def Jam Recordings, though she is well known in her home country and was recently named one of the Top 100 Most Influential Estonian Women.

Though her promotional single "Army of Love" from her upcoming second album hit number four on Billboard's Hot Dance/Club Songs chart for the week of April 16, it is uncertain whether Kerli will be accepted into the mainstream American music scene, since her "Bubble Goth" aesthetic differs so dramatically from most listeners' expectations.

With a cult-like following, Kerli calls her fans "MoonChildren" because they abide by her mantra of integrity, love and unity.

"'Bubble Goth' is the scene that I'm creating with the MoonChildren," she said. "'Bubble Goth' is just as much a sound as it is visual or fashion. It's all about putting together light and dark, cute and hard, the opposites. Putting an unexpected twist on everything."

The official "MoonChildren" symbol is a teddy bear named I-Loo who "is actually our guardian angel who we collectively named," she said. "He is wearing a gas mask to protect innocence."

In her earlier album "Love is Dead," Kerli said, "my writing process was very introverted — it was just me and music. With the new album I'm going out into the world and trying to tap into what people are feeling and thinking."

Since then, Kerli's sound has switched from slow instrumental chanting/soft rock/pop to upbeat, techno pop. Her second, currently unnamed album was inspired by artists like Enya and "90s Euro-trash like Aqua" and is set to release in late summer or early fall of this year. Her lyrics are inspired by Estonian cultural elements, which include nymphs and fairies.

Some listeners might be put off by Kerli's "Bubble Goth" movement, but maybe the generation that accepted the weirdness of Lady Gaga and Rihanna will accept Kerli as a household name too.