MANU CROOKS SHARES NEW SINGLE 'KILLING ME SOFTLY,' <em>MFII</em> EP OUT THIS YEAR
Today, Manu Crooks shares new single ‘Killing Me Softly’ taken from his upcoming MFII EP. As one of the most forward-thinking rap and hip-hop artists to come out of Australia and a decisively prominent player in the scene, Ghanaian-Australian artist Manu Crooks continues to make waves with his music.
‘Killing Me Softly’ is no different. The track was produced by LMC and Jai Beats and had the finishing touches done by Sunny Diamonds (Roy Woods, PARTYNEXTDOOR). This new release follows ‘Bastards’, the first taste from Manu’s immensely anticipated new instalment of music entitled MFII - an 8 x track EP to be released this year.
Manu speaks of the track “This whole Australian hip hop scene is getting hectic and there is crazy potential. Been seeing a lot of success from a bunch of different artists! But if we want to sustain this growth in our industry, we can't be shooting ourselves in the foot before we even begin to start running! We now have enough talent to carry the continent, it's up to everyone to keep pushing forward. Though the odds are stacked against us, we have the perfect opportunity to level the playing field, let's not mess it up! #KMS #KillingMeSoftly”
The music was directed by Jaen Collective and was shot Kiama beaches and NSW country roads. Manu Crooks adds: "We acknowledge the traditional owners of country throughout Australia and recognises their continuing connection to land, waters and culture. We pay respects to their elders past, present and extend that respect to aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander peoples today."
The year was 2017 when Manu Crooks dropped his inaugural mood forever project which shone a light on a new wave of international-sounding hip hop coming out of Australia. The hype surrounding this release coupled with a high-energy live show launched Manu into the international spotlight with tours in Europe and North America in 2018. Co-signs from Zane Lowe (Beats One), Ebro (Hot 97), Stormzy, ASAP Ferg, and every major publication around the world soon followed as Manu was quickly donned the king of Down Under.
While releasing a string of singles over the years, Manu has accrued 100,000 subscribers on YouTube and over 40 million streams on Spotify alone, making his mark across the entire globe very present. This ascent has forged working relationships with established brands such as Adidas and Red Bull while also landing him on the continent’s largest festivals (Splendour in the Grass, Listen Out, Falls Festival) - not to mention being one of the first Australian acts to perform at the Rolling Loud Festival in the US.
With the onset of a global pandemic giving the world its gloomiest outlook, there is no better time for Manu Crooks to unleash his signature mood-driven sound with his follow-up project Mood Forever II - set to release later this year. With this immense anticipation and the weight of a continent on his back, the Sydney native continues to break down boundaries with his eyes firmly set on international stardom.