MUNA Spring Into A New Era With “Dancing On The Wall”
- Alder Boutin
- 3 hours ago
- 2 min read
MUNA kneads magnetism toward an apathetic flame in the title track of their upcoming fourth studio album, “Dancing On The Wall.” The song’s February 10 release was a commanding introduction to the full project, which will arrive on May 8 via Saddest Factory Records. On the cusp of this return, the indie pop trio boasts a swelling fanbase amassed from electric live shows and an emphasis on queer advocacy.
“Dancing On The Wall” layers gripping analogies over intricate production. Vocalist Katie Gavin channels a story of gradual heartbreak – a connection that splinters little by little, only to be bandaged with scar tissue before it can shatter entirely. Frothing waves of resentment surge from her striking visuals, crashing into a persistent longing for reciprocity. “Bought your favorite ice cream, left it in the backseat / Just another sweet thing you let go bad,” she scorns. Yet she remains mired in the tides of rekindling intimacy, admitting, “You’re the wall that I keep banging my head against.”
Multi-instrumentalist and producer Naomi McPherson gives the track its elastic pulse, trampolining Gavin’s distinctive tone through layered harmonies. Reverberating guitar from Josette Maskin completes MUNA’s mature expansion of the cathartic pop sound they’ve established with anthems like “Silk Chiffon” and “Stayaway.” “Dancing On The Wall,” with its escalating verses and cascading chorus, feels similarly primed for a thunderous live audience response.
The crimson-cloaked “Dancing On The Wall” music video uses shadow and light to reflect the push and pull of a strained relationship. A sweaty dancefloor, a deserted nighttime street, and a room coated in fiery red are among the scenes that backdrop the band. Gavin gyrates through angular gestures and a brooding demeanor, as though the song’s subject lingers just out of reach. She flings her limbs across a crumbling basement and melts into scarlet furniture, her gaze as piercing as her high heels. The song’s current races through Maskin’s dramatic lunges and pained mannerisms. True to form, their tank top features a punchy slogan, this one reading “All Is Safe.” A subtler tension arises from McPherson’s clenched fists and swaying frame. In the back of a truck bed, their gender-affirming top surgery is highlighted by a steady downpour that splashes down their chest. After the final notes fade into darkness, McPherson reappears with a sleek MP3 player to tease a snippet of another song, titled “It Gets So Hot” – reminding listeners that MUNA is just getting started.
If you want to dance on the wall with MUNA to commemorate their album release, learn more about their recently announced May mini-tour with shows in Los Angeles, New York City, and London.
