When we covered South African artist Push Push for the first time in 2019, it was part of a submissions round-up and "INB4" was the song that caught our attention. It was a peculiar future pop/rap hybrid full of brash personality and ultra-modern production that sounded entirely unique, something that's increasingly rare given the sheer amount of music being made and released on a daily basis.
On her latest song and video "Front Door," Push Push—real name Nicci St. Bruce—leans all the way in on her pop chops. Despite the easy-to-digest melodies and hook, she's holding on to all the personality, peculiarity, and forward-thinking tendencies. "Front Door" is extremely catchy and immediate with masterful hi-fi production, but it's full of surprises. Unlike so much of the glitchy, chaotic music of the moment, the song manages to hold its composure, welcoming just a bit of empty space, plenty of polish, and a steady beat that separates it from the new rush of chaotic DIYers dominating SoundCloud right now.
And then there's the music video. I don't want to spoil that for you and it's probably better to go into it blindly anyway, but I will say that I just watched it twice in a row and now I'm having acid flashbacks.
"Front Door" was co-written by MNDR and Grammy winning songwriter E. Kidd Bogart. It was produced by Push Push's frequent collaborator and husband Moon Bounce.
“Front Door is my very first co-write," Push Push tells us, "and I’m so chuffed to say that MNDR—who I’ve looked up to forever—and Evan Bogart—who has a gd Grammy for writing Beyoncé’s ‘Halo’—helped me make it. It’s the most pop of any Push Push material and gave me the confidence to realize I can push my sound further in that direction, while staying true to myself.”
Watch the premiere of Push Push's "Front Door" above, and pre-order her No Gods EP (out Oct. 16) here.
