Premiere: May Lyn addresses cultural separation in impressive new single, Soldiers

The Malaysia-raised singer-songwriter is making 2017 her year, releasing Soldiers after taking out triple j Unearthed’s NIDA competition earlier in the year.

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In a sense, the past twelve months have been incredibly unexpected. On a political scale, the rise of Trump and the alt-right (and the imitative rise of similar right-leaning figures in global politics) have led to increasing resistance and protests, including in the music world. A Tribe Called Quest, Run The Jewels, Gorillaz, Arcade Fire and a legion of other highly influential musicians from a broad range of genres have all made their distaste for Trump known through music, and although May Lyn's new single doesn't tie into Trump or US politics per say, it comes with pretty similar themes. Her new single Soldiers is an ode to those who speak up against authority and oppression, taking some heavy influence from her upbringing in Malaysia. "Soldiers is a song about freedom of speech, authority, violence and oppression. I was thinking about the politically corrupt state of Malaysia and how freedom of speech is constantly being censored or criminalised," she says. "I think having the freedom to speak up against unjust practices is a basic human right and can contribute towards equality and peace. In comparison, Australia has it pretty good but some countries are more heavily oppressed than others, so I wanted to write a song that brings awareness to that."

Politics aside, Soldiers takes a hold of this underlying frustration and passion and amplifies it aurally, with the emerging, now Brisbane-based musician tantalising with a hypnotic, emotionally-charged single that oozes with restrained power. "Soldiers of tomorrow / fighting a lost cause" croons Lyn in the single's heavy chorus, which packs this unique, R&B/electro sound which is comparable to a stripped-back M.I.A. in both sound and message. Not content with sitting down, 2017 has seen May Lyn explode from the gates with some serious nods from Australia's biggest and best, including winning the triple j Unearthed NIDA competition last April. Check out the stormy single below, which arrives ahead of a few gigs later on this month: