Bright, breezy and chaotic, the new single R U 4 Me? from Middle Kids is such to leave you with a smile on your face whilst the video will warm up even the coldest of hearts in the end. 

Trio Middle Kids are back with their brand new single R U 4 Me? which explores themes of hate and belonging; the song came out of a juxtaposition surrounding a sign that told people to be nice even though the sign itself wasn’t written in a ‘nice’ tone. It’s a pop-tasting anthem that incorporates a catchy melody with a jangling drum beat and a country twang from the acoustic guitar, creating a ‘summer in Nashville’ vibe. Portraying a young person isolated from peers and bullied, the clip deals with themes of power and peer pressure until the young person finds a dance group in which they feel accepted and able to live freely as Middle Kids play out the song behind them. 

Lead singer and songwriter Hannah Joy explains the alienating inspiration for the song:

I was at university once and there were all these signs on the walls saying “BE NICE IT’S NOT THAT HARD.” The tone of the message itself actually wasn’t very nice or kind… We are always looking around at other people thinking “are you on my team?”. I think this just results in us all feeling lonely.