Perfume Genius ‘Slip Away’

Olivia here. Usually our Track Of The Day features little known artists who are only just emerging onto the scene, however, today I would like to talk about an artist who is a little more established. If I were crass enough to draw comparisons between artists and the insect world, I would say that Perfume Genius is more butterfly than caterpillar. In most cases, that would be a lazy analogy, but one look at Mike Hadreas (the man behind the Genius), and comparisons between him and a brightly coloured, flirtatious creature don’t seem as thin. I’ve long been a fan of his work; ever since I first saw the music video for ‘Hood’, in which Hadreas dresses up in wigs, makeup, and masks alongside gay porn star Arpad Miklos, who sadly committed suicide in 2013. Such blatant exhibition of his sexuality opened Hadreas up to criticism from internet bigots, but as he said ‘if Rick in Pittsburgh or whatever isn’t going to listen to my music because I’m gay, fuck it’. A lot of Hadreas’ work explores sexuality and tenderness, but none as overtly as ‘Queen‘, a defiant track mocking those who are afraid of LGBTQ people. Now, his latest track ‘Slip Away’, is less about tackling the haters head on, and more about never letting them close enough to put you down. Sung in his trademark boyish lilt, lyrics like ‘if you never see them coming/you never have to hide’ are enveloped in swathes of electronic noise and tribal sounding drums, making for a track which is both anthemic and packed full of textural interest. What is really special about this new single, is the brief instrumental section at the end of the track, featuring feverish piano and a frantic culmination of the drums that underlay the entire track. Although we haven’t heard the rest of the new album ‘No Shape’, this track suggests a move away from the more subtle style that we have heard in the past from Perfume Genius, and a step into bold, brash, beautiful chaos. Check out the pastel hued new video below: