Steve Lacy Releases “Mercury” Music Video, Album “Gemini Rights” to Follow
Image via Stereogum
Steve Lacy has released the music video for his new single, “Mercury.” This is the first song to release in preparation for Lacy’s second album drop. The video was directed by the acclaimed directing duo Rubberband.
In the video for his Brazilian bossa nova inspired single, Lacy stumbles around in a massive cage. As he lip-syncs to the song, Lacy moves in and out of frame intermittently. In the latter half of the video, a menacing wolf appears to pace around the outside of Lacy’s cage. By the end of the video, he’s ripped to shreds by the wolf, and a freeze frame displays the song title.
Lacy first premiered the new song at a show at The Novo in April of 2022. The performance was his first since 2019, and officially kicked off the release of his second album.
Lacy and Apollo XXI’s Success
Lacy’s last album, “Apollo XXI,” was received well by fans and critics alike. The record landed Lacy a second Grammy nomination in the “Best Urban Contemporary Album” category. “Apollo XXI” aired more on the R&B side than his latest single, but still pushed the envelope with its genre bending.
Music writer August Brown of the LA Times wrote “Lacy’s finally come into his own as a solo artist, one straddling R&B, Indie Rock and his own idiosyncrasies. [Apollo XXI] is quintessentially L.A. in its mix of retro funk, twitchy beat music and even occasional canyon-rock vibes.”
Lacy’s wispy falsetto moments on “Apollo XXI” reappear in “Mercury.” With his tendency to mesh styles and sounds, “Gemini Rights” will likely show Lacy following a similar wave.
Steve Lacy’s Versatility
The Compton-native first gained recognition as a talented guitarist. He served as the lead guitarist for R&B/Soul Band, The Internet, in 2015.
Although its been three years since the release of “Apollo XXI,” Lacy’s kept busy with various features and collaborations. He appeared on Fousheé and Ravyn Lenae’s latest projects and has worked with artists like Mac Miller, Kali Uchis, and J.Cole.