Sufjan Stevens is about to release his new album The Ascension, out September 25th via Asthmatic Kitty, and he’s shared a brand-new song and video from the album, “Sugar.”
Directed by Ezra Hurwitz, the dance-heavy video shows a family living a vintage and seemingly peaceful life before their domestic bliss starts to crumble around them. All the while, Stevens’ repeated refrain grows more and more intense: “Come on, baby, give me some sugar.”
“‘Sugar’ is ultimately about the desire for goodness and purity (and true sustenance),” Stevens said in a statement. “On the surface, the song is just a string of clichés, but the message is imperative: Now is the time to gather what is good and pure and valuable and make it your own, and share it with others. Feed your soul and speak new life into those around you. Give each other love, respect and sacrifice. Relinquish all the old habits, all the old ways of thinking and doing, all former practices — ‘business as usual’ — and bring new life to the world. This is our calling.”
Stevens previously released the Ascension singles “America” and “Video Game” (the latter featuring a music video with “Renegade” dancer Jalaiah Harmon), as well as the standalone single “My Rajneesh.”
From Rolling Stone US
