WILSN has shared the final single preview of her next album — and it’s delightfully savage.
Written in collaboration with her longtime guitarist Steven Veale, “Big Star” is a dig at an ex-partner and musician with an inflated sense of self-importance — someone who still lives at home while coasting on their parents.
“Big Star is about someone obsessed with being perceived as a rockstar… but in reality they’re still living at home, coasting on their parents, and pretending to be a big deal,” WILSN explains. “It’s a slightly savage look at the gap between this person’s image and reality.”
After establishing the chord progression with Veale, WILSN allowed the track to sit untouched and ruminate for several days. The breakthrough came during a two-hour flight to a performance, where the melody and lyrics crystallised mid-flight. “I hummed it out in near silence, the only noise being the plane engines and it just clicked. It was basically written above the clouds,” she explains.
Recorded at Brooklyn’s renowned Hive Mind Recording, “Big Star” benefits from the expertise of an ensemble featuring musicians from Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, Thee Sacred Souls, Charles Bradley and Jalen Ngonda’s bands. The added star power infuses the track with the fire and finesse of New York’s soul scene, creating a sound that bridges classic and contemporary sensibilities.
The single arrives as WILSN continues building significant momentum across her channels. Her previous releases, including the brassy “The Way”, break-up anthem “Keep Walkin'” and the heartfelt tribute “GIRL” have collectively amassed millions of views on TikTok and Instagram, setting the stage for a highly anticipated album drop with Bloom next month.
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Come October, she may very well be cemented as one of Australia’s most compelling new soul voices, with the title track containing the prescient line: “I think I’ve had enough life lessons, I’m ready for the flower to bloom.”
‘Big Star’ is out now on all platforms via Mushroom Music. Listen to/purchase it here.
