Genesis Owusu

Parallel Lines Promotions Presents
Genesis Owusu
Plus Special Guests

Over the past five years, Ghanaian-Australian artist Genesis Owusu has emerged as one of the most exciting artists of the moment. Back-to-back albums Smiling with No Teeth (2021) and Struggler (2023) were released to critical acclaim, cementing him as one of the most distinct and innovative artists to have risen from the Australian scene in recent years. Now, at 27, he readies himself to release his third album, REDSTAR WU & THE WORLDWIDE SCOURGE.
An eclectic musical journey sits in the underscore of the album. A kaleidoscopic display of instrumentation and sound bending sees genre borders crumble into dust. The sound bed shifts with the turning tides of the record. Neo-Soul feeding into Alt Pop, Synth Punk into Funk. This delicate weaving guides listeners through moments of collective ecstasy and desolation, resistance and joy, dance and reflection. The ability to tune his blended taste into one, to carve the purest of human emotions into song, is a unique gift that Owusu has honed, the depth of feeling in the record effortlessly matching the depth of his lyricism.
"I started writing this album because I was seeing so much of the world and watching what was happening," he says. "I feel like I had something important to say. I was writing this almost for necessity because there were so many people not saying what needed to be said. I feel like I'm a student of Nina Simone, and she said, 'the purpose of an artist is to reflect the times they live in'."
14-tracks long REDSTAR WU & THE WORLDWIDE SCOURGE is a piercing reflection on the political, social and economic flames engulfing many parts of contemporary society. Ornately crafted, the album is rich in lyricism and earnest in its message, and sees Genesis Owusu ruminate on the institutional forces tearing at the seams of humanity, as well as the need for unity and brotherhood in the wake of this ruin.
Musically, REDSTAR WU & THE WORLDWIDE SCOURGE is Genesis Owusu at his most experimental and free, with an array of sounds cohesively woven into a vibrant and layered sound bed. Sounds and influences range from Deep Funk to Alt Pop, Neo Soul to Brit Rock. In union, they provide the backdrop to a bold and unflinching state-of-the-day record.
Opening song PIRATE RADIO sets the tone for the entire record. Over a jittery and frantic instrumental is Owusu's frank sense of lyricism. There are callouts of the likes of Elon Musk and an unshrinking attitude about the consequences. "I ain't scared," he utters, "I've been digging this grave for decades. I can't wait to use it."
"It's a statement of intent," he says about the song. "It set the scene for the album. It has an air of paranoia. It's very brash. It's irreverent, it's straight to the point. It's not trying to dance around the topic. It opens the door for the rest of the album."
The album stays true to that spirit and sees him reflect and comment on topics ranging from the rise of…