Genesis Owusu - Tied Up! (Official Video)
Photo Credit: Bec Parsons
Multi-ARIA award-winning Ghanaian-Australian artist, Genesis Owusu releases his newest single and video, “Tied Up!”, taken from his highly anticipated sophomore album, STRUGGLER, arriving August 18 via OURNESS /AWAL.
Premiered on BBC Radio 1’s Hottest Record with Clara Amfo, the album’s magnum opus, “Tied Up!” is defined by a stomping beat and warping guitar line, buttered by Owusu’s forceful vocals that speak to the heart of the album’s mindset; the struggle of getting by in an uneasy world, and holding onto oneself in the process. Produced by Sol Was (Beyoncé’s Renaissance) and Henry Was (Justin Jay, Thumpasaurus), the addictive track lends energetic nods to fan favourites like “Good Times” and “Wit Da Team” rounded out by a pounding, yet meditative, outro; ‘I’m the struggler, ain’t no way to love ya’. Another surefire classic to expect in the Genesis Owusu live repertoire.
Continuing his creative collaboration with globally-celebrated Aotearoa (New Zealand) visual artist, Lisa Reihana, the surreal music video for “Tied Up!” sees Owusu characterised as a boxer, going to battle for himself whilst running from his demons.
Out August 18, STRUGGLER is an imminent exploration of the chaos and absurdity of life, and our ability to endure. Where Smiling With No Teeth uncovered the battle against depression and racism, STRUGGLER is about how to get through its struggle. The album takes inspiration from a close friend hitting the brink and coming through the other side, in conjunction with prompted questions of life and beauty that Owusu found himself contemplating during readings of Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot and Franz Kafka’s Metamorphosis - references that are explicitly featured in “Tied Up!”. Recorded between the US and Australia, the album’s producers traverse musical genres; from Jason Evigan (RUFUS DU SOL, SZA), to Mikey Freedom Hart (Jon Batiste’s 2021 Grammy of the Year Album, We Are), Sol Was, and original producers, Andrew Klippel and Dave Hammer.