Today, Grammy-award winning Macklemore has released his latest studio album ‘Ben’, along with his latest single ‘No Bad Days’ and accompanying music video, directed by his 7-year-old daughter Sloane.
“My dream director. Also, my co-star.” Macklemore states. “Sloane has had a creative pulse since I can remember. Her style, her eye, her freestyles, her Melodies. Outside of her mom I probably trust her creative input more than anyone else. And she has never been shy about her opinion.”
He adds “I’m so proud of who she is that it puts tears in my eyes thinking about it. To brainstorm, dream, flush out ideas and ultimately pull it off with Sloane at the helm… this one will be one of my favourite videos forever. I hope it makes you smile.”
On his new album ‘Ben’, Macklemore shares “I’ve always wanted to make an album called Ben. There’s something about a self-titled record. It has an air of voyeurism. I’m letting people in, but in a way that I hadn’t felt 100% comfortable about allowing before. I am now though.”
Throughout 2020, he found himself with a rare pocket of time for introspection during the Global Pandemic—something not typically afforded to a father of three and touring musician… “I did experience a level of reflection I don’t think I’ve been able to truly tap into in the past,” he affirms. “This mandatory pause and the time created a level of intimacy that might not have been there if the
world had continued to operate how it was.”
Joined by a tightknit group of collaborators such as Budo, Tyler Dox, and Experience, he ventured to the island multiple times for focused five-day trips. “I’ve recorded in nature before, but I never had the opportunity to do so with no ending in sight,” he reveals. “We were removed from all external distractions. It just flowed. The idea was, ‘Let’s just make art, because we get to—not because we have to. Let’s capture that magic’.”
‘No Bad Days’, the new single, has upbeat guitar ushers Collett’s hook along at full speed as Macklemore counters in a catchy call-and-response. He assures, “Don’t gotta say goodbye, if you never wake up.” “It’s just a vibe,” he observes. “It’s one of those songs you put on in the car, and you’re immediately in a better mood. I love making a record that I can’t wait to bump in the whip when it
hits 70 degrees.”
Once you hear BEN, you’ll never look at Macklemore the same way. “Songwriting is the glue for my entire career,” he leaves off. “If you’re not writing words that resonate, the music isn’t going to have depth, weight, or longevity. I’m not trying to follow. On this album, I’m being authentic to who I am. I’m reflecting on where I am in life. Turns out, I’ve learned a lot.”
Watch the ‘No Bad Days’ video below, and read more music news here.
