The artists formerly known as s/s/s will henceforth be known as Sisyphus. The lineup—Sufjan Stevens, Son Lux, and Serengeti—remains the same.
After the success of their Beak & Claw EP last year, the trio has reunited for a self-titled album due out March 18. You can watch the lyric video for their new “Calm It Down” below. It starts of as a strain of LCD rap music before Sufjan swoops in at the 3:00 mark:
Sufjan also gave an interview to help clear up any confusion or rage with regards to the name change, saying:
s/s/s started to sound like the Nazi Schutzstaffel with a lisp so we had to change it. We wanted a word with three S’s and Sisyphus felt like a capable anti-hero—endless struggle, the human plague, the existential condition. We are all working towards nothing. Also, the apparent futility of this collaboration—a black rapper from Chicago, a white singer-songwriter from Detroit, and an arty producer with cool glasses, though I dunno where Ryan’s from, Cleveland? We have so little in common but we have deep love for each other and we are pushing that stone together.
And indeed, this album sounds like it will be a family affair. Though Sufjan did hint at a Blue Ivy/North West collaboration:
Celebrity guests? Just make something up to generate press. Kendrick Lamar ghost wrote all the raps. Hudson Mohawke did the beats. Beyonce. Jay-Z. Janet Jackson, etc.
