Big Wild releases “Who Do You Believe” (Counter Records), a brand new single and the urgent question that producer, songwriter and vocalist Jackson Stell poses to his 2.2 million monthly Spotify listeners ahead of the 2020 US election. Through an enthralling arrangement of arpeggiated synths, undulating guitar, rising walls of bass, drums and hypnotic vocals, “shouting at the screen,” Big Wild captures the hysteria of false narratives, misinformation and biased agendas disseminated by mass media during an unparalleled, divisive point in history. In both the song and its striking music video, Stell envisions a future in which we leave blind faith behind and build a culture driven by individual critical thought, bereft of propagated falsehoods and indoctrination.
Not only does Stell present a new sense of personal audacity to his listenership, he also unveils yet another facet of his stylistic versatility, as his psychedelic, mesmeric vocals and neo-pop production, reminiscent of a new-age Tame Impala, furthers him as the next alternative artist to watch.
To accompany the electric single, Big Wild revealed a bold visual, societal commentary in tandem, centered around the crucial pursuit of truth amid polarization and partisanship.
Watch the official “Who Do You Believe” music video, in which Stell himself makes a cameo. Filmed under a strict set of COVID safety protocols, director Erin Galey adds, “The video asks us to consider who’s creating the narrative in today’s world, and whether we can (or should) attempt to control one another’s experiences or thoughts. I hope this piece inspires viewers towards open-minded discussions with their community, and maybe even a new community outside their comfort zone.”
“So much news is coloured with opinion and spin that it’s difficult to find the truth,” Big Wild says. “Not only that, it’s often more comfortable for us to find an opinion that lines up with what we already tend towards in order to validate our view of the world. The convenience of blind faith, and therefore lack of critical thought, puts the responsibility of what’s true on the power of opinionated and amplified voices.”
“Who Do You Believe” is Big Wild’s first new single since “Touch,” an eerily prescient work which led office magazine to name him the “one of the fastest rising artists in the world of electronic music.” A high-octane follow-up, “Who Do You Believe” is a sign of the times, mirroring a new set of emotions the nation is experiencing. While working on the track over recent months, Big Wild has continued to promote civic engagement among his fanbase, including voter registration, in addition to supporting environmental causes and fighting climate change.
The full-band, live return of Big Wild’s “exotic pop extravaganza” (Complex) is currently slated for 2021, including an already sold-out, headlining Red Rocks performance and more.
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