KIRBY Returns with New Single "The Man," Honoring The Overlooked & Underpaid Heroes Who Built America on Their Back:
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Today, KIRBY returns with "The Man": the first single from her forthcoming album out this summer, and a soul-stirring tribute to the unsung heroes, workers and dreamers who have sacrificed so much more than paychecks. Dedicated to her father, and steeped in the rich musical traditions of the South, "The Man" represents a searing slice of the life that KIRBY continues to experience firsthand. Memphis born, Mississippi raised, and schooled through the blues, gospel and R&B she sang with her family in a small church atop a hill in Eudora, KIRBY's ability to channel candid stories into unforgettable songs of universal truth has made her one of the most in-demand vocalists, songwriters and collaborators of the century. As an artist behind Rihanna, Kanye West and Paul McCartney's "FourFiveSeconds," Beyoncé's "Die With You" and Ariana Grande's "Break Your Heart Right Back" – and who voiced Ni'jah, the fictional pop star in Donald Glover and Janine Nabers' Amazon Prime Video series Swarm – her emotional and melodic range has permeated the masses. But with "The Man," she turns the page on a profound and personal next chapter.
Choosing hymns over hits, stories over samples, and truth over trends, this new project marks the most inspired work of her career, with a mission that is so much bigger than herself. It is soul music for the future, made for those who came before her – who danced, cried and sang the blues on the land they worked and tilled for, but never owned.
Listen to "The Man," out now via SoundOn/TikTok, and watch the accompanying video, where KIRBY gives a powerful performance from the Mississippi farmlands: HERE
"'The Man' is a song dedicated to my father. At 71 years old, I don't know a more hard working man, but his latter years have taught me that the American Dream is not earned by the hours you put in. And that in today's time, an old man's social security can make him feel many things, but rarely financially secure.
We've built our country on the backs of people who are overlooked and underpaid. Teachers, custodians, truck drivers, delivery drivers, farmers & sharecroppers, but where is their praise? Where is the anthem for the people who barely get enough sleep to 'American Dream' but knowing what is required, get up and get the job done anyway? I hope this song finds its way to their playlist. And though the hook offers no resolve, maybe the raw truth of a sung frustration makes them feel seen. And like a 15-minute break on a grueling 12 hour shift, lends them a sweet, but brief relief.
The rat race is rigged, and on those days when it all gets to be too much, I point the finger at the proverbial Uncle Sam, and mumble under my breath, 'I can't stand THE MAN!'"
-KIRBY
Arriving ahead of Juneteenth, "The Man" is unapologetically Southern and undoubtedly Mississippi, building on the viral fandom, millions of followers and hundreds of millions of streams she has cultivated with songs like "Black Leaves," about the killings of Southern Black men and the women who mourned them. From love to heartbreak, triumph and tragedy, KIRBY embodies a full range of human empathy through her stirring falsetto and signature rasp. Between landing multiple tracks in HBO's Insecure and FX's The Bear, touring with John Legend, Leon Bridges and Pink Sweat$, and performing with Black Thought and El Michels Affair on The Tonight Show, she has broken barriers and seamlessly transitioned between pop music and marginalized genres. And with this next step of her journey, she brings her artistry, upbringing, vision and versatility to the absolute fore.
As the first full-length project since 2021's Sis. He Wasn't The One, KIRBY's forthcoming album was produced by Thomas Brenneck (Charles Bradley, Sharon Jones) and Homer Steinweiss (Amy Winehouse, Lee Fields), and features a wrecking crew of like-minded musicians such as Big K.R.I.T., Akeem Ali, Victor Axelrod, Nick Movshon, Paul Spring, Leon Michels, Dave Guy, Dan Edinberg, Robin Hannibal: the vanguard of modern soul, hip-hop and R&B, who have worked with the likes of Clairo, Mark Ronson, The Roots and many more.
More details about KIRBY's upcoming album will be announced soon, and before then, she will appear at the Recording Academy's first-ever GRAMMY House NYC, a curated pop-up experience launching during New York Music Month. Celebrating Indie Week, Pride, and Black Music Month, KIRBY will participate in Artist to Advocate: Forging Tomorrow's Music Landscape, a panel discussion happening tomorrow, June 14th.
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