LA electropop trio MUNA (Katie Gavin, Josette Maskin, and Naomi McPherson) are known for being an out-and-proud queer band that omit all gendered pronouns from their lyrics, and for their juxtaposition of emotionally intelligent, introspective lyricism with expansive and sumptuous soundscapes. "Around U", a single from their debut album About U (2017) is a good introduction to their honest, soul-searching lyricism and glossy, euphoric electropop sonic template.
"Around U" is concerned with the aftermath of a paradigm-shifting breakup, which gains an unusual, sublime grandeur when compared to religious devotion and a poignant evocation of the greater world that exists outside the insularity of an all-encompassing relationship:
'And the house still stands where it was builtI know 'cause I drove by tonightA candle in the bedroomWhere I once performed a holy riteAnd I did stop to hang my headJust for a moment at the light'Cause now the altar is a bedAnd now you're just a friend that once was mineOh civilian, idling alongHow can you understand that there's a whole world gone wrong?But something massive happened hereCan you feel it in the atmosphere?Something false that once was trueI no longer revolve around youI no longer revolve around you
Lyrics: Genius
It's easy to see why MUNA has a devoted queer following. As a review on PressPlayOK observed, "Their songs may be accessible [...] but in them wraps a deep sense of vulnerability and self-knowledge that you just wouldn’t get in mainstream shallow pop [...] it’s clear that the success of this sparkling debut record is not just because of the inward soul-searching, but what Muna offer to lost and wandering souls who may have also experienced what they have. That sort of audio counselling and empathy is missing in today’s landscape". It is very probably that young queer fans are more in need of MUNA's 'audio counselling' than their straight counterparts - but MUNA's brand of poetic-yet-accessible, dancefloor-ready pathos can be appreciated by everyone, young and old alike.
