Muse is still in a dystopian mood with their new single, “Compliance” (and the album looks dark, too)

March 17, 2022 Alan Cross 0 Comments

Matt Bellamy apparently had a rough time with COVID and is most concerned with the rise of authoritarianism around the planet. Those fears were channeled into the new Muse album entitled Will of the People, which is set for release on August 26.

I quote Matt:

“Will Of The People was created in Los Angeles and London and is influenced by the increasing uncertainty and instability in the world. A pandemic, new wars in Europe, massive protests & riots, an attempted insurrection, Western democracy wavering, rising authoritarianism, wildfires and natural disasters and the destabilization of the global order all informed Will Of The People. It has been a worrying and scary time for all of us as the Western empire and the natural world, which have cradled us for so long are genuinely threatened. This album is a personal navigation through those fears and preparation for what comes next.”

So, COVID + Putin, then.

On the topic of this new single, Matt says:

“‘Compliance’ is about submission to authoritarian rules and reassuring untruths to be accepted to an in-group. Gangs, governments, demagogues, social media algorithms & religions seduce us during times of vulnerability, creating arbitrary rules and distorted ideas for us to comply with. They sell us comforting myths, telling us only they can explain reality while simultaneously diminishing our freedom, autonomy and independent thought. We are not just coerced, we are herded, frightened and corralled to produce a daily ‘2 minutes of hate’ against an out-group of their choosing and to turn a blind eye to our own internal voice of reason & compassion. They just need our Compliance.”

Right. Could Matt be hinting towards an anti-mask stance?

Here’s the full tracklisting.