Released: 6th September 2019
Rating: ★★★★★
It feels like for years we’ve been wondering who’d be the ones to save pop music. Many have tried – Miss Eilish with her spooky ASMR pop, Miss Jepsen with her cult classic ‘EMOTION’, Mr Sheera- oh god no you’ve got to be kidding.
But none have been brave enough to say “Yes. It is us. Sit down; we are going to save the world. Also, we are the best.” Until now. As some might say, wigs were snatched. As MUNA might say, “so iconic, like big, like stan”.
‘Saves The World’ is obviously back to back bangers, but it’s also a genuinely touching story of heartbreak and self-love, rallied in by ‘Number One Fan’, the anthem that reintroduced the group in June after over two years off.
‘Good News (Ya Ya Song)’ could go over the end credits of any Lindsay Lohan film seamlessly (in a good way), drive fast through a tunnel at night with ‘Never’ playing for that “Alive” feeling, scream ‘Number One Fan’ into a hairbrush in front of the mirror (that’s definitely 100% what it was created for).
Never ones to shy away from taking a stance either, the chorus of ‘Hands Off’ feels like a massive ‘fuck you’ to Donald Trump and his minions who are currently dehumanising women day in, day out. “No, you can’t touch, get your hands off of me”, same energy as “this pussy grabs back” TBH.
But if you’re after Katie Gavin’s life story on a platter, look no further than the six-minute sprawling closer ‘It’s Gonna Be Ok’ and keep a box of tissues handy.
‘Saves The World’ is tears under the disco ball at its finest. It’s a more honest and grown-up version of the MUNA we know. If we don’t let them dominate the world (as well as save it), we’re fools.
Abigail Firth
