LION’s bold approach to songwriting has been met with critical acclaim, the hard-hitting electropop of ‘Not Your Fetish’ and ‘Attention’ giving way to huge crowds at Sydney World Pride, Midsumma Carnival and Mardi Gras. The 23-year-old is moving at a high pace toward the release of debut EP Reclamation, approaching the project with a refinement found during their time at Tomboi Records.
Dope Saint Jude is a fellow electro-artist specialising in genre-morphing hip-hop. She’s performed across Europe and the US, had music featured in Apple ads and Oscar-nominated films and unleashed multiple EPs across her career. An advocate for the queer community, she speaks globally about her experiences.
The pair come together for the new track ‘Mitmita’, a visceral alternative electro-pop punch filled with enticing rhythms and assertive performances. The raw feelings of each kick drum, each bass hit, each distorted crunch is a colossal thump to the chest, the self-aggrandising nature of the lyrics from a place of boldness, not of delusion.
Moments of angelic, tension-building ethereality are bulldozed by brutal electronic climaxes, the unapologetic arrangement a constant reminder of LION’s songwriting power. Performances from both LION and Dope Saint Jude are ferocious, driving the track in a climax of cinematic scale, every element alight and the flames burning strong.
LION explains the new track, “Mitmita is my Ethiopian Mother’s go-to seasoning, so having it as the focal point of this song feels connective as we are here to spice things up by celebrating and supporting members of our Queer BIPOC global community, who too often experience trauma related to the lack of capacity to proudly present their identity.”
In my case, being LGBTQIA+ is often deemed as ‘un-African’, which is a major source of identity conflict for myself and many others I am aware of,” LION explains. “These discriminatory statements are often made in the name of religious beliefs which in turn see us queer folk referred to as ‘devils.’ I decided to mock that character by showcasing that we’re not evil, but rather a beautiful community. We’ll continue to stand strong in our power with this song and its invitation for any BIPOC friends who have felt shame around their identity to reclaim our narratives together!”
