Macklemore has been teasing a new album for a while now, and recently he's been on a roll, dropping new singles with increasing frequency. His last was "Maniac," a track featuring Windser with a music video that had an appearance from Nardwuar. Back in July, the Seattle rapper dropped the anthemic "CHANT," which included a chorus from Tones And I.
Now, the rapper has teamed up with NLE Choppa for "FAITHFUL," a song about staying clean. Macklemore has been vocal about his past problems with drugs, and on his new single, he delves deeper into the trials and tribulations of addiction.
"Feel like I'm running out of time and the sun won't shine forever," Mack says in the opening lines of the track over a sparse instrumental, made up of plucked synths and a theremin. The line outlines the desperation that the rapper proceeds to detail throughout the rest of the song.
Though the instrumental remains relatively restrained and upbeat, Macklemore delves into dark places. "Trapped by these walls where my brain can't get out/ Wonderin' if my mama have to put her son in the ground," he says at one point.
NLE Choppa provides a ray of light at the end of the track, noting that there's hope for any person suffering from addiction. "I need you right now Mack to wake up more than over / Ain't no more weed, alcohol, and poppin' pills, et cetera / I know these days gettin' rough, but they get better," he assures both Macklemore and whomever is listening.
Throughout Choppa's verse, he draws parallels between himself and Mack, noting that they both have daughters who they can't disappoint by falling off the wagon. "We can meet up face to face, just let me know if that's okay," Choppa offers.
Check out the new song below.
Quotable Lyrics
It's a cold world, let's go to the Gucci store for a sweater
Feel it deeply in my heart you need this letter
So I pour my feelings out to you before I go and mail it ('Fore I mail it)
I don't know what I'm sensin', but I can smell it