Ghanaian-Australian vocalist Genesis Owusu has announced his sophomore album Struggler, out August 18th via Ourness/AWAL. He’s offering a preview of the record with its lead single and opening track “Leaving the Light,” which comes with a dramatic accompanying music video.
Owusu’s follow-up to his 2021 album Smiling with No Teeth was recorded with a small army of producers between the US and Australia, and was inspired in part by Samuel Beckett’s tragicomic play Waiting for Godot and Franz Kafka’s magical realism novella Metamorphosis. It’s billed as “an imminent exploration of the chaos and absurdity of life,” with inspirational undertones of endurance and perseverance.
“The struggler runs through an absurd world with no ‘where’ or ‘why’ at hand,” Owusu explains in a statement. “Just an instinctual inner rhythm, yelling at them to survive the pestilence and lighting bolts coming from above. A roach just keeps roaching.”
Equal parts frenetic hip-hop and beefy punk rock, “Leaving the Light” is a fired-up banger led by a scintillating bassline that feels tailor-made for headbanging. Lyrically, Owusu chants about coming out o top: “The obstacles wont block my path, I see the test/ They can try and swat me down, boy I’m the pest,” he spits, perhaps a nod to Metamorphosis’ part-insect protagonist.
Pre-orders for Struggler are ongoing. Below, listen to “Leaving the Light” and check out the album’s artwork and tracklist.
Owusu also has a handful of 2023 headlining tour dates in North America, Europe, and Australia in addition to his opening slots for Paramore and Bloc Party. Grab tickets at StubHub, where orders are 100% guaranteed through StubHub’s FanProtect program. StubHub is a secondary market ticketing platform, and prices may be higher or lower than face value, depending on demand.
Struggler Artwork:
Struggler Tracklist:
01. Leaving the Light
02. The Roach
03. The Old Man
04. See Ya There
05. Freak Boy
06. Tied Up!
07. That’s Life (A Swamp)
08. Balthazar
09. Stay Blessed
10. What Comes Will Come
11. Stuck to the Fan
