LIL LEAGUE Release ‘Lollipop’, Lead Track from Upcoming Album ‘TRICKSTER’, Along with Music Video!
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TRICKSTER Jacket Cover
Dance/vocal/rap group LIL LEAGUE have released their new single ‘Lollipop’, the lead track from their upcoming first full-length album ‘TRICKSTER’, along with a music video.
The song title hints at something sweet, but the theme of the lyrics is the contrast between “the surface and what lies beneath”, or the light side and the dark. We all yearn for a world that is sweet and glamourous, but beneath the surface lie bitter and painful experiences. Artists who live public lives in the bright spotlight may be plunged into darkness for saying or doing the wrong thing. The track borrows its melody from 19th-century composer Edvard Grieg’s timeless ‘In the Hall of the Mountain King’. This classic piece was first composed to soundtrack a scene in the stage play ‘Peer Gynt’, in which the protagonist is pursued by the troll Mountain King’s minions.
As ‘Lollipop’ explores themes of light and dark, Grieg’s melody creates a thrilling, mysterious atmosphere. Making use of tricks like sound effects and a sudden rhythm change in its outro, the song has a playful sound that is typical of LIL LEAGUE. The music video echoes the themes of the lyrics by contrasting scenes of the group members in the glittering spotlight with darker footage of them as puppets on a string. Going back and forth between these seen and unseen worlds, LIL LEAGUE express themselves as artists, not puppets, who have their own creativity and vision.
The video was filmed on location in Taiwan at Lihpao Resort as well as at Shitou Park, an abandoned theme park that is now used as a filming location. Look out for the group’s high-speed performance in front of the brightly lit Ferris wheel and giant candy statue in this otherwise desolate, eerie amusement park. It’s a video that perfectly intercuts footage from one resort that is lively and thriving, and one that is deserted.
LIL LEAGUE made their debut in January last year and won the Best New Artist Award at the 65th Japan Record Awards, while their debut single ‘Hunter’ ranked No.1 on the Oricon Chart and No.2 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100 chart. LIL LEAGUE were also selected by respondents in the Next Trend Prediction poll for the second half of 2023, based on the choices of 120,000 Generation Z voters. After a whirlwind debut year that included holding a headline hall tour of Japan just six months after their debut,
LIL LEAGUE are moving into a new phase – and anticipation for their upcoming first full-length album is reaching fever pitch. Be sure to check out the music video for ‘Lollipop’ below along with the streaming link here!
