Video of the Week: Hilltop Hoods ft. Eamon, 'Show Business'

Any new Hilltop Hoods song is big news, but when it’s their first single in almost two years, it’s extra noteworthy.

The Adelaide hip hip icons have returned with ‘Show Business’, their first release since COVID-themed hit 2020’s ‘I’m Good?’. They recruited powerhouse U.S. soul singer Eamon for the bubbly track, which sees the group contend with the highs and lows of a lifetime in the music industry.

“The idea for ‘Show Business’ came from something my buddy Dools used to say to me whenever he’d call me on the road,” Suffa explained. “I’d inevitably be stuck at a gas station in the middle of nowhere with a hangover whenever he’d call, weeks away from getting home and he’d always laugh and say ‘What, and quit show business?’ The downs can be quite serious in the music business, particularly over the last two years, but the ups make it worth it.”

The official music video for ‘Show Business’ was helmed by Nash Edgerton (Mr Inbetween, Gringo) and filmed in Sydney: a group of imprisoned clowns (played by the Hoods themselves) meet their match in the form of some terrifying children, forced under pressure to perform their best tricks.

“‘Show Business’ is a song about the trials of having a lifetime career within the music industry,” Pressure said. “This is probably my favourite clip of ours, despite looking like a serial killer dressed as a clown. Nash Edgerton killed it; we were super pumped he agreed to do another clip with us after working on ‘I Love It’ with him.”

Although there’s no official word yet, ‘Show Business’ could be the first taste of Hilltop Hoods’ ninth studio album. Their last album, 2019’s The Great Expanse, was their fifth consecutive ARIA number one.

For more on this topic, follow the Hip Hop Observer.