For the first time in far too long, Neal Francis has gifted fans new music. Earlier this week, the beloved psychedelic-soul singer-songwriter and pianist unveiled "Back It Up," breaking a two-year studio silence after the release of 2022's Sentimental Garbage, which was itself a collection of B-sides from the triumphant 2021 album In Plain Sight. The artist has stayed busy since then-earning a reputation as a road warrior and dropping the live album Francis Comes Alive in 2023, and that spell has clearly stirred a change in his sound.
"Back It Up" is a whole new lane for Francis, foregoing the jangling keys and boogie-woogie arrangements of previous offerings for a slick, four-on-the-floor disco groove, with cowbell and all. His virtuosic piano work is similarly conspicuously absent, save for some synth stabs, and his typical brand of introspective soul-searching takes the backseat to a minimalistic, mesmerizing tale of fleeting connection on the dance floor. Altogether, it's fun-forward, and undeniably successful at that, with an infectious pulse capable of swaying any purist. The artist followed up on this new track with a tongue-in-cheek, VHS-era dream sequence of a music video; watch Francis drive through deep space below.
"That song went through a few different phases before we got to the final iteration," Francis says. "It took me a while to accept that it's okay to have fun with the lyrics, instead of making everything so serious all the time."
Though this single stands alone, a presser teases more music to come. In advance of that, Francis has officially announced a New Year's Eve celebration, set to stage at San Francisco's vaunted The Independent with Planet Booty on Dec. 31. Tickets will go on sale this Friday, Nov. 22 at 10 p.m. PT. For tickets and more information on this year-end blowout and the rest of Francis' fall headline tour, visit nealfrancis.com.
Listen to "Back It Up" on all streaming platforms now, and watch the official music video below.