Tank and the Bangas have shared a new song, “Nighttime,” from their upcoming album The Last Balloon. The album is set for release May 15 via Verve Forecast, with “Nighttime” featuring David Shaw and Austin Brown.
Tarriona “Tank” Ball described “Nighttime” as “my spacey, reflective record” made with Brown and Shaw. She said the song is about the thoughts and feelings that surface after dark, and noted that the track includes a Kindred the Family Soul sample. Ball also said the appearance from her younger brother makes the song “even more personal.” “Nighttime” follows the previously released The Last Balloon songs “No Invite” and “Move,” the latter of which features Lucky Daye.
The Last Balloon closes the album trilogy that began with Green Balloon in 2019 and continued with Red Balloon in 2022. Ball said the new title was chosen because she did not want listeners asking when a “Purple Balloon” project would arrive. “It’s the end of the balloons; we’re moving into a new space now,” she said. The album was executive produced by Austin Brown and recorded primarily at The Complex Studios in Los Angeles. Its collaborators include Iman Omari, Tane Runo, Ledisi, and Jelly Joseph.
In 2017, the New Orleans-based band rose to prominence after winning the NPR Music Tiny Desk Contest. Just a few years later, Green Balloon earned the group a Best New Artist nomination at the Grammy Awards. In 2023, Red Balloon received a Grammy nomination for Best Progressive R&B Album. Later this year, Tank and the Bangas have tour dates scheduled in New York City, Boston, Detroit, Washington, D.C., and other cities, with additional performances planned through November.
