On new single Anthem for Loners, Charli Lucas sings of solitary jay-smoking, dinner dates for one, and cozying up in a single bed doona.
Charli Lucas has released Anthem for Loners, adding to a consistent string of indie-pop bangers to be released by the Sydney singer-songwriter of late. The new single sees Lucas ruminate on the life of an introvert, complete with references to solitary jay-smoking and “a hot date with myself.” As its title suggests, Anthem for Loners pays homage to leaving parties, being unreachable and the freedom that comes with being alone.
The track opens with rustic acoustic guitar strums, and later introduces catchy whistle notes on the hook and spoken-word dialogue. “I meant what I said and I said what I meant,” Lucas mumbles through a static telephone effect, before trippy synths distort her vocals on the final crescendoing chorus. By the song’s end, Lucas sings with assuredness of her loner life, closing the single with the repeated refrain: “In a hotel suite, I’m good.”
A track borne out of wittiness and relatability, Anthem for Loners was written in-part on the way home from a social event, during which Lucas “wanted nothing more than to be alone,” she recalled in a press statement. “[The song is] for anyone who has ever felt overwhelmed by the noise and chaos of the world,” she added. “For me, this track is a reminder that it’s okay to take time for yourself, to retreat into your own thoughts and find solace in your own company.”
A combination of BENEE-like production — with lush pop hooks and indie accents — and the candid lyricism of SZA, Lucas writes with diary-like intention of the throes of life as a 20-something, with Anthem for Loners serving as a vignette of a particularly troublesome night out. The song was produced by Ethan Reginato, and is accompanied by a just-released music video directed by Max Mayer-Rayment.
The clip follows a couch-bound Lucas as she travels lazily from bayside retreats to inner-city suburbia, before busting out some improvised choreography in a warehouse. Anthem for Loner marks the latest addition to Lucas’ catalogue of standalone singles, having earned her breakout track with the 2020 self-produced track Cigarette Breath. Since then, she has released Adored, MARZ and These Days, the last two of which arrived last year.
Listen to Charli Lucas’ new single Anthem for Loners below.
