The last few days have been an exciting time for Bastille fans everywhere. It started with a cryptic tweet from lead singer Dan Smith, simply stating “bad_news”. The fact that it was immediately deleted caused even more of a stir. This was later followed by “_news about something new – on its way in a bit.” Bastille hadn’t released anything brand new in a while, and fans were impatient for more. Well, they didn’t have long to wait. Soon after, Dan tweeted that new song Bad_News would have its worldwide premiere with Huw Stephens on Radio 1. So at 12am on Thursday 14th, many fans waited up to hear for the first time a taste of what new music Bastille had to offer.
Our immediate reaction was that Bad_News is very different to the songs on Bastille’s first album, Bad Blood. Heavily produced and very electronic, this song reminds us of the tracks on their mixtapes, Other People’s Heartache Part 1 & 2. Bad_News seems to contrast with previous material such as Overjoyed and Flaws. Thematically, though, it is quite similar. The dark subject matter of receiving and reacting to bad news won’t be anything new to listeners, and it is very relatable. The skilfully-written lyrics are also what we have come to expect from Dan Smith. At first we were very surprised by the style of this song, but as we have listened more and more, it has definitely grown on us. The chorus is especially memorable, and Dan’s falsetto is an added bonus.
With a new mixtape coming out before the end of the year, and their second album scheduled for 2015, Bastille has been very busy producing new music. Bad_News has made us very excited about what is to come, and about how Bastille will have developed their sound since Bad Blood. Bad_News is the B-side to single Oblivion, which is available for pre-order on the Bastille website. For those waiting for the new album, Bad_News is definitely good news.
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What I love about Bastille is the fact that they can do so many different styles equally brilliantly – this just proves it!
We agree! Bastille have never been restricted by a specific genre, and this means that their music is always fresh.