Declan McKenna releases new single ‘Sympathy’
British pop singer Declan McKenna has released his first new music of 2023 with the single ‘Sympathy’.
Leaning directly into the psychedelic sounds of sunshine pop, ‘Sympathy’ also borrows liberally from a genre that can only be described as “nightmare circus music”. With twinkling noise makers and tootling horns giving the song its over-the-top brightness, McKenna lays out a fairly simple pop track with an easy-to-understand message.
“Sympathy doesn’t have a complex message, and, in itself, encourages simplicity and directness,” McKenna explains in a statement. “It feels like a dream about love and compassion, it wants us to let go of inhibitions and allow ourselves to truly connect with others rather than overthinking and hiding your feelings away. Or put even simpler, it’s about peace and love.”
“It was important to use fewer words and not over-explain things this time around,” McKenna added about the track.
The new single is McKenna’s first since the 2021 non-album track ‘My House’. McKenna’s most recent full-length LP, Zeroes, was released back in 2020.
The track was produced by Gianluca Buccellati, who is well known for producing Arlo Parks and her Mercury Prize-winning debut LP Collapsed In Sunbeams. David Wrench, best known for his collaborations with David Byrne and Frank Ocean, mixed the track.
Check out the audio for ‘Sympathy’ down below.
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