Kae Tempest has shared a striking new single called ‘Statue In The Square’. Check it out below.
Shared this morning (March 19), the track was first previewed on Nick Grimshaw’s BBC 6 Music show. It sees the artist, lyricist, poet, playwright and author take on a raw, honest approach.
‘Statue In The Square’ features an eye-catching emphasis on rhythm, as Tempest delivers hard-hitting lyrics in a fast flow, making a nod to their early days as an open mic MC.
Produced by Fraser T Smith (Stormzy, Adele, Dave) this marks their first track released since 2022’s ‘I Saw Light’ – a single that featured Grian Chatten of Fontaines D.C. and appeared in the album ‘The Line Is A Curve.’ It also captures the business of the streets of London, and the voices that they hear around them.
“There is power in showing up for yourself and showing up for your people. I hope this song powers you up. I hope it moves you. Take courage my friends we got this,” Tempest said of the new track.
Check it out below, alongside a video directed by Boy Dykes and featuring numerous voices from the community.
The new single comes following the artist last week sharing details of three intimate shows in the UK set to take place at the end of the month.
The UK spoken-word artist will take over Bristol’s Thekla on March 26, Leeds’ Belgrave Music Hall & Canteen the following day on March 27 and London’s Village Underground on March 31. The gigs will provide fans a chance to watch Tempest perform in an intimate setting.
The intimate gigs are in support of their headline appearance at BBC Radio 6 Music festival in Manchester on Saturday March 29. Visit here for tickets.
Tempest’s last full-length release was 2022’s ‘The Line Is a Curve‘. In a four-star review of the album, NME described ‘The Line Is A Curve’ as “frequently dazzling”. “The process of letting go has resulted in a record on which an acclaimed voice can explore human emotion with more breadth and depth than ever before,” it read.
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