Fi McCluskey’s stirring new single ‘Scream’ is an odyssey. The Irish-British alt-pop artist’s latest call to arms, is a continuation of her artistic expression, which she calls “sonic activism”. It is at once an anguished statement of discontent and an empowered declaration of solidarity with the human race.
Just as she challenges problematic societal norms, Fi McCluskey pushes the boundaries of contemporary music with a unique blend of psychedelic trip-hop and alternative pop rock on ‘Scream’. Her rousing lyricism encourages the listener to embrace individuality, much in the same way that her music is proudly distinctive and eccentric. The witty singer-songwriter embeds a message of moral severity in a compelling concoction of entrancing production and earworm vocal hooks.
Viewing music making as an artistic and social obligation, Fi McCluskey boldly proclaims: “Artists have the ability to turn emotion into something tangible. Music is powerful. It has the ability to engage individuals and unite them, moving the times forwards.” Here is a woman who endeavours to be the master of her fate and the captain of her soul. She uses her music to unite and invigorate her listeners against the greater injustices set upon them by the powers that be.
Directed by Josh Quinton, the single’s music video incorporates a fascinating mix of sleek, old-school illustrated graphics and highly-stylised footage of Fi. It is a fitting contribution to the song’s overall message; its engaging visuals are as expressive as the track, and its almost psychedelic dreamstate lends to the Blade Runner-esque themes of the song. As Quinton describes in his own words: “the video is created all by hand with live action and paper collage animation. We wanted to celebrate hand crafted methods of creation within an era of AI generated art”.
Speaking on the risk AI poses to the arts, Fi said: “Will this be the death of creativity? Calling machine learning artificial intelligence is misleading. Art is an offering, a deeper human connection, what it means to be human. Tech is stealing intellectual property to teach their machines. They should be held accountable. This is theft and plagiarism.”
One thing is for certain: ‘Scream’ and its accompanying video are a triumph of artistic expression and will certify a legacy of cinematic and philosophical magnitude.
About Fi McCluskey
Dynamic, daring and unconventional, Fi McCluskey is an artist who truly utilises her voice. The Irish-British singer-songwriter seeks to use her music to blow the whistle on societal injustices and promote social change.
Well-established in her own right, Fi has penned and published songs for other successful artists including Honey Dijon, garnering 4.5 million streams on Spotify on the track ‘It’s Quiet Now’. Her debut EP is produced by Mercury Prize nominee Johan Hugo, most celebrated for his critically acclaimed work on Self Esteem’s debut album. With press from Wonderland Magazine, Metal and Fault, alongside shows at O2 Forum and a headline at Roundhouse, all eyes that know where to look are on Fi, and those that aren’t should be.
Fi McCluskey isn’t afraid to speak up on topics that truly matter, with her previous single releases showing just that. Her 2024 single ‘Empty Space’ pays homage to the first ever women executed for witchcraft, and her 2023 release, ‘Die Young’, delicately handles awareness around postnatal depression.
With big release plans for 2025, including an intimate ‘Scream’ listening party taking place at The Divine on April 8th, Fi McCluskey is just getting started.
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