Music Discovery – Anohni and the Johnsons

During the early 2000s, Antony and the Johnsons emerged as an incredibly impactful, deeply emotional band thanks in large part to the songwriting and otherworldly voice of lead vocalist Anohni (previously Antony) Hegarty. Her music attracted the attention of Lou Reed and won a Mercury Prize in 2005, leading to international tours and collaborations with filmmakers, fashion designers, and other visual artists.

Now, for the first time in more than a decade, Anohni and her band are back together, recording under the modified name Anohni and the Johnson with a new single, “It Must Change.”

In the video (above), Anohni – whose voice is personified through author and LGBTQ+ activist Munroe Bergdorf – pleads for a new and better way of relating to each other and working through our differences.

The way you talk to me, it must change
The things you do to me
The way you leave me
The seeds you give to me, it must change

But while the the first half of the song does imply some degree of hope, by the end it’s clear that reconciliation is probably not in the cards. It’s a sentiment both troubling and starkly down to earth.

No one’s getting out of here
That’s why this is so sad

The song appears on Anohni and the Johnsons’ sixth studio album, My Back Was A Bridge For You To Cross, set for release on July 7.