Ravyn Lenae – “M.I.A.”

Over the past few years, the classically trained Chicago-born R&B singer Ravyn Lenae has made her name with a series of adventurous, critically acclaimed EPs, the most recent of which was 2018’s Crush. Today, Lenae has announced that she’s finally ready to release her debut full-length. Lenae’s new LP Hypnos is coming out next month, and she’s just shared a new single called “M.I.A.”

This year, Lenae has already teamed up with the Internet’s Steve Lacy, an old collaborator, on two singles, “Light Me Up” and “Skin Tight.” The new single “M.I.A.” goes in a different direction. Lenae recorded the track with two producers: Sango, a Frank Ocean collaborator from Grand Rapids, and the Berlin-based IAMNOBODI, who put in work with the late Nipsey Hussle.

“M.I.A.” is a breezy dance track with afrobeats accents, and it’s all about skipping town to go party someplace. In a press release, Lenae says, “‘M.I.A.’ is about feeling free and comfortable in your skin. It’s a peak into my world — the duality of knowing the energy you bring to the world but also being confident in riding dolo.” Listen to the song below.

Hypnos is out 5/20 on Atlantic.