London’s Natalie Shay is the indie-pop glitter bomb serving us an energized, vibrant new single, “Medicine Boy.” The radiant single has a catchy warmth through the glowing strums of indie guitars and an explosion of pop synths. Talking all things boys, she touches on being involved romantically in a dysfunctional relationship, whereby her lover (the medicine boy) experienced an addiction to drugs. Leaving the meaning up for interpretation, Shay shares, “The lyrics are written so that if I told you the whole song was about an addictive relationship, it would make sense. But if I also told you the whole song was about recreational drug use, every line would still make sense.”
Aside from her undeniable, intelligent vocals, the single storms in with a very Fickle Friends-esque entrance of throbbing synths and electro-tinged vocals. The track is bursting with groovy guitar riffs and a tight, bright drum beat, giving us a pounding energy, sure to have you dancing around sunset fires in your mind. Shay’s new wave of sound is a reflection of her newfound understanding of her emotions, giving us a raw insight into life in her 20s and taking a step away from her previous releases.
Undoubtedly, Shay is growing as an artist and as an individual with each and every release. “Medicine Boy” marks some of her strongest work to date, and that’s saying something! It seems time off during the pandemic has served this artist well, returning with a bang louder than ever before.
