Petite Noir continues to tease the arrival of their highly-anticipated second album — their first since 2015’s La Vie Est Belle / Life is Beautiful — linking up with rapper and singer Sampa the Great to create the hauntingly beautiful “Blurry.” The new single follows previous releases “Numbers” and “Simple Things” (feat. Theo Croker), though now fans have a definite date for the imminent arrival of MotherFather which will drop on Apr. 15.
“Blurry” sees the two artists collide in harmonious wonder on a song that centers around the bittersweet ways love can grow within and without us. As the song begins it’s carried by the dulcet vocals of Petite Noir and the distorted twang of guitars, but then the beat kicks in and the whole melody starts swinging like a pendulum between its dually discordant and melodious rhythms.
But the real switch-up doesn’t occur until Sampa the Great drops in on the track, her sly lyricism and rapid delivery cutting through the morose instrumentals like lightning. At its core, the song is about realizing one of the most painful facts about love itself: as much as we are consumed and controlled by it, we are far from being able to make it bend to our will.
“‘Blurry’ is a song about growth in love,” Petite Noir explained. “Being ready to take that next step whether it means being together or apart. Sometimes the best thing you can do is just move forward with your life solo.”
The music video for “Blurry,” directed by Hector Aponysus, captures much of the song’s tender intimacy. One particular shot sticks out perpetually: a silhouette of Petite Noir’s head with a white circle cut out of it in which a smaller version of the artist stands, wandering around trapped. Sampa the Great also makes an appearance, dishing out her bars about the ways in which love can ignite passion as well as destruction. The video creates a visceral visualization of the two pathways love can take: splicing shots of Petite Noir in complete serenity against a monochromatic backdrop, with ones of him caught up in the agony/ecstasy as he splashes paint against the walls of his surroundings.
MotherFather is out on Apr. 14 via Roya, pre-order it here.
Visit Petite Noir on their website and Instagram to stay updated on new releases and tour announcements. Keep up with Sampa the Great on their website, Twitter, and Instagram.
Words by Steven Ward
Watch the music video for “Blurry” the new single from Petite Noir and Sampa the Great below!
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