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Magi Merlin presents the cathartic dance anthem Pissed Black Girl and reveals the details of her new EP Gone Girl

After making an unapologetic Bonsound debut with Free Grillz, which attracted the attention of media outlets such as The Fader, Complex, Les Inrocks, CBC Music, Range and Exclaim!, Magi Merlin (pronounced MADGE-eye) now shows off her groove and assertiveness with Pissed Black Girl a new enticing soulful single, with which she continues her ascension alongside her trusty producer Funkywhat. Today, Magi Merlin also announces the details of Gone Girl, her upcoming EP and boldest body of work yet, which will be out on May 27th, 2022.

Carried by sculpted backbeats and tilt-a-whirl synths, Pissed Black Girl is an irresistible dance floor anthem that puts the spotlight on Magi Merlin’s bluesy and bewitching voice ; showcasing a masterful control of her voice by meticulously slowing down her vocal delivery throughout the song to a more plaintive tone that still sounds effortlessly cool. Underneath its seductive and inviting rhythm, the track channels years of pent-up frustration, transforming the anger of dealing with fake progressives into something cathartic, ecstatic and life-affirming. Magi subverts the tired trope of the 'angry Black woman' through her lyrics as a means to empower herself. The more I think, the more the anger brews / (“Fuck you" ain’t enough to clock it) / Pissed black girl at your gate / Ivory tower, how’s your view, she luringly sings.

Speaking about the new single, Magi says: "I wrote this song in the summer of 2020. I was made to really look at my identity as a Black woman and what that identity means to the people I surround myself with. I didn’t realize a lot of the people I had around me at the time that identified as progressive, leftist and “allies” were not as supportive as they made themselves out to be. Talking with them just resulted in arguments instead of compassion and understanding. This made me very angry and the only thing I was able to do to vent my frustrations and arrive at some form of catharsis was by singing about it.

The title of the track references a story an ex-friend recounted to me as well as what I and many other Black women who speak their minds are reduced to: an “angry Black woman”. This ex-friend told me about a time they went to a predominantly white party in the suburbs and one of the party-goers, while staring out onto the front lawn of the house, said: “wow, there’s a n٭٭٭er on the lawn” – one of many atrocious acts that go unchecked in white suburbia and various other white spaces. If there is anything I’ve learned from my experiences with ignorant and bigoted people, it is how unapologetic I need to be about my existence. I’m a girl; I am pissed and I’m Black. What about it?"

After taking SXSW by storm in March, Magi Merlin will perform at The Great Escape Festival, be taking place in Brighton in May, before embarking on a European tour supporting Noga Erez. She will also perform at the Montreal International Jazz Festival and at the Festival d’été de Québec later this summer. See the list below for all the dates.

About Gone Girl
After gaining a cult following with her previous EP Drug Music, Magi Merlin now presents Gone Girl, her most audacious effort to date. Drawing its influences from 90’s house, drum and bass, Motown and acid-flecked hip hop, the emerging indie singer draws us into her biting yet soulful and intricate universe, which she created alongside longtime producer Funkywhat. In her musical cauldron, the self-described “cheeky nihilist” combines jazzy scats with raps, and breakbeats to give us her take on generational angst, fake friends and casual racism. This EP, which at times feels like a mixtape with its interludes and subversion of genres, unveils Magi’s many hiddens facets; offering a selection of work that is energetic, funky and packed with confrontational and brooding observations. Whether it is to unleash years of bottled-up anger or to dazzle her fans with funkadelic dancefloor numbers, Magi Merlin holds on to the mic and presides queenlike over her ever-wide.

Tour dates
12/05/2022 Brighton, UK - The Great Escape Festival
13/05/2022 Brighton, UK - The Great Escape Festival
14/05/2022 Brighton, UK - The Great Escape Festival
17/05/2022 Vienna, AT - Flex ○
18/05/2022 Zurich, CH - Mascotte ○
19/05/2022 Milan, IT - Santeria ○
21/05/2022 Dublin, IE - Pepper Canister Church ○
23/05/2022 London, UK - Oval Space ○
24/05/2022 Paris, FR - Badaboum ○ SOLD OUT
25/05/2022 Paris, FR - Badaboum ○
30/05/2022 Brussels, BE - Orangerie ○
31/05/2022 Cologne, DE - Luxor ○ SOLD OUT
01/06/2022 Amsterdam, NL - Tolhuistuin ○
08/07/2022 Montreal, QC - Montreal Intl. Jazz Festival ●
16/07/2022 Québec, QC - Festival d'été de Québec

○Supporting Noga Erez
●Supporting Sudan Archives

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