Tripping Jupiter has unveiled their first release of the year, the politically charged technicolour alt-pop of ‘This Fuss’. Taking aim at power, excess and observing the chaos and frustration setting in for everyday people, it’s inherently defiant, but sonically charming with a swaying, inviting feeling in the chorus and an honesty in the verses.
Never one to shy away from the bold, the New York artist brings a vibrant synthesiser backdrop. Warmth in the low end and a twinkling, dreamlike production as the pitch climbs. Each repeat of the lyrical refrain makes it feel ever more like a protest anthem, embracing that fact as the song reaches its end, with the gentle drums and grooving bass swapped for clapping, stomping and chanting. It finds strength in both resilience and humour.
Lead vocalist Madstone explains the inspiration, sharing, “I see a whole lot of people frustrated with mega-capitalism on steroids; pissed at oligarchs and how they negatively affect our lives. I see it on social media daily. People are struggling, and people are pissed. So my song is an attempt to describe the chaos in the world that we are seeing in a playful, poetic way and give people a catchy, pop anthem to hang that anger onto. Because it’s lyrically a little humorous, I think I get away with it.”
Alongside Madstone are the production team of Audible Yays, Barb Morrison (Blondie/Franz Ferdinand) and Bart Schoudel (Selena Gomez/Katseye), platinum records and Grammy nominations between them . Together, they create a sound with a retro flair, but a timely focus. They are unafraid in their thematic coverage, put front and centre with this single, and have gained a reputation in NYC since their debut in 2022.
Listen here:
