Arooj Aftab has shared “Whiskey,” the second single from her forthcoming album, Night Reign, out May 31 on Verve Records.
Night Reign is the follow up to Aftab’s critically acclaimed label debut Vulture Prince. To commemorate the single release, today Aftab is the featured artist on Apple Music’s New Music Daily.
Atmospheric and playful, “Whiskey” transports listeners to a melancholic display of intoxicated infatuation as Aftab sings in English: “Your head gets heavy and rests on my shoulder ’cause you drink too much whiskey when you’re with me.”
The track’s freeform structure, jazz elements, and touches of ’90s R&B showcase the range of Aftab’s musical adventurousness. Collaborators on “Whiskey” include Kaki King and Gyan Riley on guitars, Maeve Gilchrist on harp, Linda May Han Oh on bass, and Jamey Haddad on percussion. While the band keeps up, TimaLikesMusic contributes retro Juno keyboard runs and a dreamy electric piano solo. Check out the video for the track below.
“‘Whiskey’ is about being out at night with someone you like, but the evening gets a little carried away,” Aftab explains. “My friend has had too much, now I am tired, and I need to figure out how to get us both home. But overall somehow the night and the interaction is still pretty cute.”
Last month, “Raat Ki Rani,” the album’s debut single and music video directed by actress Tessa Thompson, garnered praise from NPR, Rolling Stone, The New York Times, and many more.
Aftab makes the night the focus of her latest nine-song collection. Entirely in her own voice and through her own story, she delves into the multifaceted, bold and fascinating realm that comes to life after dark.
Some nights are for falling in love, some are for solitude and introspection, some are to be annoyed at a forced social gathering–and so go the stories of Night Reign.
