Twenty-five year old English singer-rapper-musician Yungblud has released “Lowlife,” a new rap track performed and recorded at Marigny Studios. The musician enlisted local New Orleans heroes Johnny Sketch, Jason Parfait, Michael Mullins, Ian Smith and Steven Glenn with help from The Molly Ringwalds and the Grammy Award-winning Jack Miele to bring his anthem to life. The song features kids singing in a tone reminiscent of Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in the Wall.” The track simultaneously carries elements reminiscent of Amy Winehouse, Lily Allen, and Mark Ronson, infused with a touch of Mary J. Blige’s distinctive style.
According to Rick Nelson of the Best of the Beat Award-winning Marigny Studios, Yungblud has been here three times since December and loves the city. “An artist has the right to express themselves in any way they see fit for their artistic vision. YungBlud came to New Orleans for its endless inspiration and incredible wealth of character within the people and culture that surrounds all of us in this beautiful city. New Orleans isn’t just jazz, it is an immense melting pot of talent across all genres of music. We have always welcomed outside influences to our culture and will always allow that inclusivity to grow our arts. Yungblud was already in New Orleans recording his new album and luckily he had all the tools he needed here to make a video for his new single while he was in town. We were proud to have Yungblud in our studio and were honored that he chose to bring his talent to our city.”
Yungblud, who has primarily performed punk with collaborators such as Travis Barker, Ozzy Osbourne and Willow Smith, has been teasing his 3.8 million followers with a new era of music that returns to some of his hip hop roots. In May, the NME Award-winning performer born Dominic Harrison, sent fans letters in the mail gave instructions for a location to go to for three different places: Los Angeles, London, and Rock am Ring Germany. Fans in those places would find a car spray painted with the word “Lowlife” on it, and were allowed to hear a snippet of the new song. A lyric video was released earlier this month and this week a New Orleans-centric live video with a brass band interpretation dropped.
Earlier this month, the singer told NME, ““I wrote ‘Lowlife’ because I just didn’t want to leave my house. I was sick of people, of games, of myself, my friends, anytime I did anything some idiot had an opinion about it. What I should do or be.” Los Angeles-based Hunter Simmons, who has worked with Machine Gun Kelly and local legend Lil Wayne, directed the video.
Saints fans may recognize the Northern English-born musician from last year’s NFL halftime show between the Saints and Vikings that took place at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – the first purpose-built NFL stadium outside of the United States.
The artist also announced a tour with shows that will cost only $20, an expression of solidarity with other artists, such as The Cure, who are taking a stand against the high fees ticket vendors and venues are charging for admission. “it breaks my heart that a lot of you out there right now can’t afford tickets to live shows. i see it everyday and i want to do something about it. as of tomorrow for the American tour that starts next week, tickets are going to be available for $20 inc fees.,” tweeted Yungblud. “i know times are really rough right now and i want you all to feel heard and seen by me. it is my belief that music should be for the people. you keep us here, you keep the show alive.”
