We are just over a month away from being graced with the musical stylings of Lady Wray and her latest album Cover Girl. Everything that we’ve heard from the set so far — including “The Best For Us,” “You’re Gonna Win” and “Be A Witness” — has had us ready to hear more. And more the singer is giving with the release of her new single “Hard Times.”
Lady Wray has been mining lo-fi old school vibes on most of the tracks we’ve heard from Cover Girl thus far, but “Hard Times” is quite different. That’s mainly because it features perhaps the project’s most recognizable sample thus far. The El Michels Affair-produced cut heavily features The Clark Sisters’ beloved gospel staple “You Brought The Sunshine” within its composition. It’s a fact that Lady Wray doesn’t attempt to hide, as she borrows the song’s vocal phrasings while she floats among the bright, happy synth notes.
The songstress sings of a love that’s endured, with the verses covering all the things her man is to her. The chorus then drives the song’s themes home. “We made it through hard times / They said we won’t (Made it through hard times) / Stayed right, my mind’s eye / Cannot lie (Stayed right, my mind’s eye),” she sings. “You never quit on me, always believed in me (That’s why you my guy) / Nothing was perfect enough and came free / But we made it (Madе it through hard times).”
While Lady Wray breathing a different life into “You Brought The Sunshine” was unexpected, the pairing is one that seems like an obvious match upon hearing it. Her already gospel-tinged vocals feel at home over the chords and the personal sentiment she brings and makes it all the more enjoyable.
Listen to “Hard Times” when you press play below, and make sure to pre-order Cover Girl on Bandcamp before the set arrives on Friday, September 26th.
