Kid Sister has teased us over the last three years, giving us tastes of her cheeky and impeccable flow, spunky personality onstage, and hyper antics during interviews. The tracks that made the blog rounds two to three years ago, like “Control” and the Kanye-assisted “Pro Nails” had everyone dancing and curious to see what A-Trak’s lady could really do beyond making the rounds at Chicago hipster parties. She had an undeniably cute backstory as the girl-next-door who still felt as though she were working at Bath and Body Works, dipping her toes in the music scene and taking after her brother J2K, a burgeoning DJ and one-half of Flosstradamus. Needless to say, the buzz built fast.

“Back then said I’m gonna change the game and if I don’t, I don’t know who will/Think I did it/Least I’m tryin’a/kinda/sorta/sorta/kinda,” Kid Sister reflects on “Let’s Bang 2009.” It’s probably one of the most self-aware lyrics we’ve heard in awhile, and Sis swiftly and accurately reviews her own record. Set aside all the high hopes and hoopla surrounding her and you’ll remember that Kid Sister cares about one thing, first and foremost: having fun. If you let yourself succumb to her agenda, it’s hard to deny that Ultraviolet is a solid dance party soundtrack. With production from A-Trak, Spank Rock’s XXXchange, and DJ Gant-Man, among others, the album covers a good deal of musical ground.

The core of the album remains to be Sister’s Chicago-house roots, but she explores the 80s synth-pop landscape, dabbles in disco and even has a hand at 90s R&B girl group-style crooning on “You Ain’t Really Down.” Her collaboration with Cee-Lo on “Daydreaming” is infectious in its dreamy and otherworldly production. As much as Sister’s spitfire rhyming is her trademark, we wouldn’t mind hearing more of this softer, more musical side. Album standouts include the catchy “Get Fresh,” and electro-driven “Right Hand Hi,” an undeniable club banger. A few cuts (“Big N Bad,” “54321” or “Step”) don’t succeed in showcasing her talents as well as the rest of the album, but Ultraviolet succeeds in bringing together older Kid Sis favorites with new material, and—most importantly—is just a really fun party record. Sometimes you just need to dance.

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