“I was dumbfounded by the song when I first wrote it, because it felt vaguely mean-spirited… But when I dug up the demo a few years later I was shocked by its prescience. I could no longer dismiss it as angry and glib. The song was clearly articulating something prophetic and true, even if I hadn’t been able to identify it at the time. That’s when I saw a clear path toward what I had to do next.” – Sufjan Stevens on his most recent single “America.”
Singer-songwriter Sufjan Stevens has released a new single entitled “America,” self-described as “a protest song against the sickness of American culture.” The soft hushed tones and haunting vocals of the song say again and again: “Don’t do to me what you did to America.”
Like all good protest songs, it appeals through indirection and the listener’s filling in the gaps of what’s not said.
The singer seems to be addressing a lover or an idealized figure (which may stand for a group) who has betrayed America’s ideals, asking that the same havoc not be wreaked on him personally.
The greater part of the song is purely instrumental, moving from rhapsodic synth progressions into chaotic symphony followed by dissonance that bleeds into near silence before finally resolving into ethereal harmonics. It’s that complex and extended.
In a way, “America” is a back-handed compliment, because what’s wrong stands as a repudiation of what once must have been right.
Although the single may seem inspired by current events, Stevens actually wrote it six years ago for a previous album. It remained unreleased until now, however.
“America” is the debut single from Stevens’ new album, The Ascension, which is slated for release on September 25th by Asthmatic Kitty Records. This is the artist’s eighth studio album and his first in 5 years. He spent the last two years completing the LP, mostly working alone, on his computer.
Sufjan says: “My objective for this album was simple: Interrogate the world around you. Question anything that doesn’t hold water…Be part of the solution or get out of the way. Keep it real. Keep it true. Keep it simple. Keep it moving.”
While Sufjan Stevens 15 track album won’t be released until later this year, you can listen to the thematic first single, “America,” on all streaming platforms.
Check out the video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OK9EImqaKvI
