Indie pop girl group MUNA released their much anticipated self-titled album on June 24.
Videos by American Songwriter
Their third offering is the first as an independent artist. The band was parted ways with RCA Records in 2020 and a year later, they signed a new deal with Saddeest Factory Records—also known as Phoebe Bridgers‘ record label. After signing with Saddest Factory, MUNA toured with Bridgers and Kacey Musgraves, setting a strong precedent.
To lead off their self-titled album, the band released the single “Silk Chiffon,” which features Phoebe Bridgers. The ode to queer love took the world by storm with its bubblegum pop aesthetic and catchy sound, making you feel like you are on a 2014 Pinterest board. To capture this feeling, MUNA looked to the 1999 movie But I’m a Cheerleader for inspiration. Leading up to the album, MUNA released three previous singles, including “Anything but Me,” “Kind of Girl,” and “Home By Now.”
Stylistically, many different pop sub-genres influence the album. Though synth-pop commonly describes the group, new wave, disco, and hyper pop all make up some of the influence. For example, “Runner’s High” has the clashing sound of a hyper pop song, while “Silk Chiffon” and “Kind of Girl” fuses country pop with bubblegum flavor. The tracks reach broad influences but keep a core sound that is unquestionably MUNA.
From its release, MUNA was met with critical acclaim. Metacritic, which provides a standard score of reviews, gave it an 87 out of 100. Thus, indicating universal acclaim.
You can check out the tracklist and the first half of the North America tour leg for MUNA below.
MUNA Tracklist
- Silk Chiffon
- What I Want
- Runner’s High
- Home By Now
- Kind of Girl
- Handle Me
- No Idea
- Solid
- Anything But Me
- Loose Garment
- Shooting Star
Tour Dates:
JUL 28, 2022 – Lollapalooza After Show – Thalia Hall -Chicago, IL
JUL 29, 2022 – Lollapalooza – Chicago, IL
JUL 30, 2022 – Rock & Roll Hall of Fame – Cleveland, OH
AUG 2, 2022 – Newport Music Hall – Columbus, OH
AUG 3, 2022 – Mr. Smalls Theatre – Millvale, PA
AUG 5, 2022 – Headliners Music Hall – Louisville, KY
AUG 6, 2022 – Delmar Hall – Saint Louis, MO
AUG 7, 2022 – Hinterland Music Festival – Saint Charles, IA
AUG 8, 2022 – First Avenue – Minneapolis, MN
AUG 11, 2022 – Knitting Factory – Boise, ID
AUG 12, 2022 – AUG 14, 2022 – Day In Day Out Festival – Seattle, WA
AUG 13, 2022 – Wonder Ballroom – Portland, OR
AUG 15, 2022 – The Observatory North Park – San Diego, CA
SEP 18, 2022 – Royale – Boston, MA
SEP 19, 2022 – Royale – Boston, MA
SEP 20, 2022 – 9:30 Club – Washington, D.C.
SEP 23, 2022 – Marathon Music Works – Nashville, TN
SEP 24, 2022 – The Masquerade – Heaven -Atlanta, GA
SEP 26, 2022 – 9:30 Club – Washington, D.C.
SEP 27, 2022 – The Phoenix Concert Theatre – Toronto, ON
SEP 28, 2022 – The Fillmore Philadelphia – Philadelphia, PA
