Anjimile Shares New Single ‘Animal’ + Live Dates
Today, Anjimile previews a third from his upcoming album, The King, out 8 September. ‘Animal’ is a protest brutality, written in the summer of 2020 and explicitly references the death of George Floyd. Like the rest of The King, every sound heard on ‘Animal’ comes from two instruments: an acoustic guitar and Anjimile’s own voice. Throughout, Anjimile’s feelings of rage and frustration are tinged with sardonicism, and the song is accompanied by an equally potent video directed by Robby Operman.
Check out ‘Father’ HERE or watch the official video in the player below.
Official Lyric Video by Robby Operman
Other than a few beautiful contributions from Justine Bowe, Brad Allen Williams, Sam Gendel, and James Krivchenia (Big Thief), the album is the result of a year in LA working intimately with Grammy and Juno winner Shawn Everett.
To celebrate the release of The King, Anjimile has announced a run of North American tour dates, adding to an existing run of international festival appearances taking place later this year. A full list of dates is below.
9 September – RALEIGH, NC, USA, Hopscotch
28 September – MONTREAL, CANADA, POP Montreal
3-4 November – REYKJAVIK, ICELAND, Iceland Airwaves
7 November – AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS, Paradiso Zonzij
10 November – PARIS, FRANCE, Pitchfork Paris
11 November – LONDON, UK, Pitchfork London
1 December – WINSTON-SALEM, NC, USA, SECCA
2 December – WASHINGTON, DC, USA, DC9
3 December – PHILADELPHIA, PA, USA, PhilaMOCA
5 December – BROOKLYN, NY, USA, Public Records
7 December – KINGSTON, NY, USA, Tubby’s
8 December – BOSTON, MA, USA, ICA
10 December – TORONTO, CANADA, The Drake
12 December – CHICAGO, IL, USA, Schubas
13 December – LEXINGTON, KY, USA, The Burl
“A bold, spiralling slice of soulful noise, offering pop at its most abstract yet still tethered to sumptuous melody… an extraordinary return.”– Clash
“The inventive nature of Anjimile is really fascinating … and this is another level.” – NPR Music
“There’s always been power afforded by watching and waiting: Now, on ‘The King,’ Anjimile finally steps to the throne and speaks.” – Pitchfork
“A dramatic, unsettling, yet grand track based around meticulously crafted choral arrangements, thumping percussion, and a striking riff that sounds like an uncanny harpsichord.” – Rolling Stone
“Progresses from a complex, wordless chorale into a keyboard arpeggio whirlwind.” – The New York Times
Anjimile – The King
Pre-order HERE
1. The King
2. Mother
3. Anybody
4. Genesis
5. Animal
6. Father
7. Harley
8. Black Hole
9. I Pray
10. The Right
Anjimile [ANN-jim-UH-lee] Chithambo has been hustling for over a decade in the indie music scene, first hitting the stage in Boston while he attended Northeastern University as a music industry student. Anjimile recorded several EPs and albums on their own, and their star rose when their 2018 NPR Tiny Desk Concert contest entry was deemed the best out of Boston. In 2019 he recorded Giver Taker, a collection of songs written while getting sober in Florida. Giver Taker was critically adored – Rolling Stone Magazine deemed it one of the best 50 albums of 2020. Since Giver Taker’s release, Anjimile tested new material on the road while opening for artists like Jose Gonzalez, Tune-Yards, and Hurray for the Riff Raff. A collection of covers, Reunion (2021), featured renditions by Jay Som, Sasami, and Lomelda. His newest, The King, is the result of decades of hustling, centuries of survival, and one artist’s honesty and bravery.ABOUT THE KING ALBUM ARTWORK
Daniela Yohannes lives and works in Guadeloupe in the French Caribbean. Her work reflects upon the racialised movement and conditional belonging of African diaspora, using her own Ethiopian-Eritrean heritage as a lens.