To celebrate the release of their latest track “Decide to Be Happy,” MisterWives have curated a playlist of music by the Black artists who inspired their love of music in the first place.
The collection of 20 songs runs the gamut of modern music history, from classic throwbacks by pioneering artists like Sam Cooke (“A Change Is Gonna Come”), Aretha Franklin (“Respect”) and Whitney Houston (“I Wanna Dance With Somebody [Who Loves Me]) to urgently of-the-moment releases by Beyoncé (“Black Parade”), Childish Gambino (“This Is America”), Lizzo (“Good As Hell”) and more.
“It does not feel appropriate to celebrate a day of freedom and independence when we are not all free. When you enslave a race for hundreds of years, then ‘free’ them while using loopholes like mass incarceration, racist policies and police brutality, to perpetuate oppression, how can we celebrate freedom in America when it does not exist for all of us?” the band tells Billboard. “We will continue to fight for equality and lift up and amplify Black voices that demand justice and liberation. Black voices have paved the way for our biggest love, which is music. Without Black music I don’t think any of us would be inspired by it. We hope you listen loud and listen proud to the playlist we put together, made up of some of our absolute favorite Black voices, writers and musicians who deserve to be celebrated!”
In addition, the pop band is raising money for Color of Change with their latest merch design inspired by the ongoing fight against racism happening across the country.
“Decide to Be Happy,” meanwhile, serves as the band’s latest preview off their third studio set, Superbloom, and follows lead single “Rock Bottom” and the handclap-and-horn-driven resilience of the title track.
“Superbloom was inspired by the resilience of the vast and vibrant poppies that aren’t supposed to grow in the desert terrain – which felt very much like an accurate representation of my personal journey,” adds frontwoman Mandy Lee of the inspiration behind the forthcoming LP. “Growing through an incredibly difficult break down to break through is the message Superbloom carries and I hope it provides comfort to all those who are fighting to make it to the other side.”
Superbloom is slated to arrive July 24 via Fueled by Ramen/Elektra Records. Check out MisterWives’ “No Music Without Black Music” playlist, as well as their new song, below.
