CHVRCHES vocalist Lauren Mayberry is back with “Something in the Air,” her latest solo single that will appear on her forthcoming debut album Vicious Creature.
With a towering chorus and a bustling drum beat, “Something in the Air” is a cathartic, satisfying turn from Mayberry. A press release notes that in addition to ’90s icons Tori Amos, PJ Harvey, and Kathleen Hanna, Mayberry was also inspired by ’90s girl groups like All Saints and Sugababes for her solo album — “Something in the Air,” with its Britpop-adjecent arrangement, definitely feels aligned with the kind of open-hearted majesty that those girl groups boasted.
Meanwhile, Mayberry describes her frustration with conspiracy theories, rigid belief systems, and having a lack of control over the existential knowledge we crave. “You come up with your stories/ Conspiracy theories of why we’re all here/ Oh, I just want to be someone/ Someone who’s happy/ But why do you even care?,” she asks in the chorus.
According to Mayberry, the song “came out of nowhere.” “I was in London finishing another song with my friend, co-writer and producer Dan McDougall,” Mayberry said in a statement. “We were taking a break in the shared kitchen in the studio complex when a pretty iconic British musician, who I won’t throw under the bus here, came in and started making conversation about electricity, 5G and how it’s making us all sick. Dan and I went for a walk around the block before going back to the studio and were unpacking those theories, and why people want to believe them — and the chorus lyric just appeared.” Listen to “Something in the Air” below.
“Something in the Air” follows previous singles “Change Shapes,” “Shame” and “Are You Awake?,” all of which will appear on Vicious Creature. The album has yet to receive a release date, but a press release notes that it’s due out “later this year.” Mayberry also contributed vocals to HEALTH’s recent track “ASHAMED.”
Revisit our 2023 interview with CHVRCHES, who discussed their track “Over,” their signing to Island Records, and what to expect from the next era of the band.