WILLOW has a new album on the way. No, you’re not flashing back in time to February; the ever-prolific singer-songwriter and musical wanderer is already preparing the follow-up to this year’s petal rock black, which she dropped right after Valentine’s Day. That experimental set, which featured collaborations with George Clinton and Kamasi Washington and a daring cover of Prince’s “I Would Die 4 U,” proved that WILLOW is slowly growing into a musical powerhouse in her own right. Now she’s moving on to the next as she readies her eighth studio album The Thread and drops the set’s lead single “Talk On The Hill.”
If the sound of “Talk On The Hill” is indicative of what the album will sound like, then WILLOW has us intrigued. Written and produced by herself and Chris Greatti, it melds rock, pop, R&B and even a little touch of jazz with a guitar-driven rhythm embellished by soothing melodies and accented by crashing drums. It all comes together to help the singer to explore human connection as it relates to science and spirituality. (What, you didn’t think the concept would be a simple one, did you?)
The song was greatly inspired by the somewhat controversial podcast The Telepathy Tapes, on which host Ky Dickens and researcher Dr. Diane Hennacy Powell explore the extraordinary and mysterious that challenge our own perception of reality. WILLOW wades in similar waters on the single, where she seeks to learn how to communicate and perceive on a plane higher than our own.
“Across the earth, they send smoke signals that we can’t see,” she sings on the first verse. “Wish I could read them, learn a new melody, oh / Wish I could see such an unusual freedom.” She later calls us all to gather on the hillside to wake up our consciousness and achieve a new level of perception.
The “Talk On The Hill” visualizer continues the song’s ideas with a stunning visual. It features WILLOW looking absolutely ethereal in long, windswept braids and a flowing purple satin gown while dancing and flailing with a comfortable freedom that emanates from the screen. Meanwhile, she is flanked by two similarly dressed women wearing masks of yarn and cloth and standing against a backdrop of vibrant red painted hills and grass. The meaning of it all can be left up to much interpretation, but overall, it feels esoteric and joyful, which is exactly what we’ve come to expect from her.
The Thread looks to further WILLOW’s exploration of music and thought-provoking ideas as she continues to push against the restriction of genre. And, if it’s as successful as petal black rock or 2024’s empathogen, then she’ll once again be blowing our minds with her talents.
Get a look at the cover for The Thread right here and then be sure to pre-order/pre-save the set before its release on Friday, July 24th.
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