Ahead of her upcoming self-titled album, Orion, out Sept. 20 via Mom + Pop, LA-based singer-songwriter and producer Orion Sun returns with a new single and video, “Mary Jane,” as well as a headlining North American tour supported by Cruza set to begin Oct. 20 in Santa Ana and ending with an LA date at The Fonda Theatre on Nov. 23.
Although it’s been two years since the release of the Getaway EP, which was followed by a literal getaway from releasing music, she spent her brief hiatus opening for Daniel Caesar on his tour and recording what would become Orion. On “Mary Jane” and “Already Gone,” the lead single for the album, Orion departs from the lo-fi bedroom pop she’s best known for and settles into an alternative R&B sound fueled by a deep sense of yearning.
“This song is about coping and facing fear head on,” said Orion. “I lean hard on my vices when it feels like the world [is] falling from the sky. It helps you escape for a while, but no matter where you go, you can’t run from yourself. I had to face my fears eventually, and I’m glad I did.”
Centered around a soulful chorus waiting to get etched into your brain, “Mary Jane” starts on a simplified note before drums smoothly roll into the instrumentation. Orion herself is on cloud nine from start to finish, singing impassionately about desperately wanting something more out of life than short-lived escapes from reality. What ties the song together are the romantic yet sentimental strings warped to the point where it’s unclear whether they are real or digital, adding another layer to an already complex journey through Orion’s ups and downs.
In keeping with the coming-of-age story at the heart of Orion at large, the official visualizer, directed by Zach Scheiwiller, captures how aimless life can feel without a clear direction. Perfectly reflecting lyrics like “I’m watching my dreams unfold,” Orion daydreams at a bus stop, seemingly allowing the “Mary Jane” at the song’s core to take effect. Despite the song detailing Orion enduring through the highs and lows of life, the visuals look at how nature relates to her songwriting.
On top of features for Fred again.. and Nascent earlier this year, with the former collaboration proving Orion has made a name for herself within the musical zeitgeist, 2024 might be her biggest year yet. Her headlining tour, in some ways, is the victory lap for how far she’s come in a relatively short amount of time, with Orion bound to catapult her much like her previously show-stopping projects.
Words: David Sosa
“Mary Jane” by Orion Sun is out now on all streaming services. For more on her upcoming album and tickets to tour dates, including a San Diego date at Music Box on Nov. 21 and an LA stop at The Fonda Theatre on Nov. 23, follow her on Instagram and her website.
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