Photo by Ben Kaye
Last month, Miguel wanted listeners to “Come Through and Chill”. This week, he takes on a more urgent tone on his Black Lives Matter-dedicated song “How Many”. Addressing the recent fatal shootings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, the R&B singer posits over a spacey, sparse backdrop: “How many heartbeats turned into flatlines/ How many black lives does it take to wake a change?”
In the SoundCloud description, Miguel noted that the track is not yet 100% finished. “This version was started (written/recorded) here in London in my hotel room between the hours of 4am and around 7am when I passed out,” he wrote. “I’ll update this song every week until its complete.”
Stream this early version of “How Many” below.
Miguel isn’t the first musician to release a song in the wake of the recent spate of police brutality incidents. Jay Z shared “spiritual” earlier today, and over the last few months, Janelle Monaé and Solange Knowles have issued their own dedications.
This past week has also seen Beyoncé and Drake address the tragic shootings via moving open letters.
