While we await the recently confirmed new music from The xx, its individual members aren’t wasting any time with their solo endeavors. Following Oliver Sim’s Hideous Bastard album released earlier this year and Jamie xx’s latest single “Kill Dem,” singer Romy Madley Croft has just put out her second ever solo track. Romy’s “Strong” is a collaboration with surging producer Fred Again.., which she calls,”emotional music to dance to” and it serves as their ode to the club as a place of healing and community.
“Strong” is the third collaboration between Romy and Fred Again.. following his track “Lights Out” and her 2020 debut single, “Lifetime,” but this one hits with a different palpable force. Inspired by Ibiza house and trance, Romy’s vocals soar in familiar fashion, but they’re paired with beats that have that finger-on-the-pulse feeling of Fred Again..’s world-smashing electronica. Romy sings about overcoming grief and it feels triumphant set to Fred’s production.
If there’s a symbiotic nature to “Strong,” that pierces through, it’s because Romy says she feels exactly that in working with Fred Again.. “My friendship with Fred means a lot to me, our closeness helps me to feel safe to be honest and vulnerable lyrically and we definitely connect over our love of songwriting and emotions in dance music,” she said in a statement. “It’s amazing and inspiring seeing and hearing what Fred is doing in his solo work and I’m very excited to be releasing this song together.”
The video for “Strong” was directed by Romy’s wife, filmmaker and photographer Vic Lentaigne. Watch and listen above.