Although Australian artist Genesis Owusu‘s latest single has a title perfectly timed for spooky season, the song’s content is decidedly less supernatural in nature. Instead, the “Death Cult Zombie” he takes on in the punky track is more political in nature, as he admonishes them, “Think too hard and you bleed / Come and get me, I won’t live on my knees / I live here so why you following me / Mr master race, but still no GED / Burning in the sun and looking British in the teeth.” I think we all know who he’s talking about.
Of course, the video manages to make things a bit more literal, opening with an homage to The Ring, and following Owusu as he runs — and off-roads — for his life, dodging literal zombies looking to take a bite out of him. There’s even a little dance number at the end, a nod to the most Halloween-themed music video of all time.
In a press release, Genesis breaks down the song’s indictment of indoctrination. “For most people, the shaking up of what they consider to be true is too scary and inconvenient,” he says. “Once you’ve picked your truth, you live by it staunchly despite whatever pesky “facts” and “logic” get in the way. Pride won’t let you be wrong, fear won’t let you be free, dogma won’t let you be aware. The delusion is more comfortable. But the longer you sit in that delusion, the faster the zombification spreads through your body like a plague; like a scourge. Gotta be brave enough to break from the cult.”
The genre-bending artist returned from a two-year hiatus with “Pirate Radio” last month; his last release prior was “Tied Up” from his second album, Struggler.
You can watch “Death Cult Zombie” above.