Photo courtesy Bonjay
Life is hard, and then you die. But it's the highs and lows that stretch out in between — the straining against limits, real and perceived, and the occasional euphoria of bursting through them — that characterize what it is to be human. And that's what "Ingenue," a brand-new single from Toronto-based duo Bonjay, sounds like to me: the explosiveness of fighting to make a life for yourself, and succeeding.
It's been over seven years since the pair first earned much-deserved acclaim for the easy blend of dancehall, soul, and pop that defined Bonjay's early work. And after a too-long hiatus, Alanna Stuart and Ian Swain continue to find harmony in tension. "Ingenue" is taken from Bonjay's forthcoming Lush Life album, due out early next year and which they describe as being about "the way we live in cities today."
"I wrote 'Ingenue' for a friend moving out on her own for the first time, away from family, away from God," Alanna told The FADER over email. "Like so many of us, she moved to the city to experiment with her identity. It's where we go to make real the fantasies we hold about our future selves."
Listen to the song below.