MUNA: To Silk Chiffon & Beyond

Hannah Hughes ‘21 / Emertainment Monthly Staff Writer

The song “Silk Chiffon” has exploded in popularity since its release on September 7 of this year. And for the band behind the smash-hit, MUNA, the hit single secured their bright future within the music industry. 

However, MUNA has been making music long before “Silk Chiffon”, and their previous work is well worth a listen. Both of MUNA’s albums, produced through RCA Records, feature a well-incorporated electronic sound, which feels authentic blended with brilliant lyricism & emotion conveyed in the vocals. 

About U, MUNA’S 2017 debut album, takes on a more somber tone, featuring songs such as “Everything”, a song that so beautifully encapsulates what it means to be so hopelessly in love with someone, and “Crying On The Bathroom Floor,” a song mixing somber lyrics with an upbeat tempo and catchy bass line. Their second album, Saves The World, leans a lot more into this juxtaposition, with songs like “Hands Off” and “Pink Light”. 

MUNA’s music speaks to everyone, especially their largely queer fanbase. When the band was first starting out, The members of the band, which include Kate Gavin, Josette Maskin, and Naomi McPherson struggled with the question of coming out and labeling themselves as a queer band, unsure about if this was the best direction for them. In a 2020 Pink News article, Maskin admits that after being initially apprehensive, it’s “the best thing they’ve ever chosen to do.”

Gavin added to that by saying that MUNA’s music is “asking questions about love & power, and [with] the way that [MUNA approaches] songwriting, [she] would say it kind of fits into what [she] think of as queer culture”.  

Embracing this aspect of their music & their identity has gained MUNA an entire new appreciation from their fans, and brings their audience closer to their music and their band as whole. To see queer artists expressing themselves to the fullest extent in a public way is empowering all on it’s own, but especially within the LGBTQ+ community where not all individuals feel as if they can do the same. MUNA’s music gives people the space to find their power, strength, and identity for themselves, no matter the struggle they face.

With this sentiment, MUNA has cemented their place in the music industry, towing the line between indie and electronic pop, and creating plenty of what are lovingly referred to as “sad songs you can still dance to.” and About U and Saves The World are only the beginning. 

As of October 2021, MUNA now has about 2,252,239 monthly listeners on Spotify, where you can find their most recent release “Silk Chiffon”, which has surpassed 6,000,000 streams. This is their first release after signing with Saddest Factory Records, a label owned by none other than Phoebe Bridgers, a highly established indie artist who has made a name for herself with albums like Punisher and Stranger In the Alps. 

Bridgers is also featured on “Silk Chiffon” and is in their music video, which pays tribute to the satirical comedy, But I’m A Cheerleader. MUNA has also been opening for Phoebe Bridgers & her band on their North American tour, which played in Boston a few weeks ago. 

Usually openers for a concert fall flat compared to the main act, but MUNA offered up an electrifying performance that would’ve been able to stand all on it’s own. The band gave every note and lyric their all, they left nothing out on the stage. The audience was screaming for more as they made their exit, ready for the show to continue. 

It’s clear that people simply can’t get enough of MUNA, and their journey is just beginning. From their new partnership with Phoebe Bridgers & Saddest Factory, to their most recent hit and live performances, we definitely haven’t heard the last of MUNA, we just have to wait to see what they’ll do next.