There’s nothing you like to see more from a musician than someone willing to take a risk on a body of work; all the while managing to pull it off as if it wasn’t a risk at all. At a time when it feels like the most bankable, popular songs sound and feel very similar to one another, it’s always refreshing to see an artist throw caution to the wind and release a body of work that bucks this trend, while seemingly locking down a new sound that very well might be the next wave of guaranteed success. Here on his third album, Genesis Owusu does exactly this, releasing an album filled with experimental sounds, politically driven sentiments, and a punch that draws you in further with every listen.
Redstar Wu & The Worldwide Scourge is 14 tracks long, each as unique as the next. As mixed in genre as it is vibe filled, there isn’t one song on the album that feels like filler. As exemplary as his first two albums (2021’s Smiling With No Teeth and 2023’s Struggler), Redstar Wu & The Worldwide Scourge feels like Owusu has levelled up again, as he goes about crafting songs born out of jam sessions and a time in human existence where it feels like the very essence of humanity is being torn apart through reckless (or intentional) division.
Releasing a plethora of singles in the lead up to the album’s release, Owusu didn’t event come close to showing all his cards despite these tracks being some of his best work to date. With opener and first single “Pirate Radio” being the searing and frantic commencement you want on an album, Redstar Wu & The Worldwide Scourge is rich in form from its earliest of notes.
“Death Cult Zombie”, hidden in the back half of the album, feels like a 1970’s punk classic, with its guitar riff and Owusu’s rapped verses delivering throughout its run. “Stampede” is erratic and anthemic, promising to be one of the more likely songs on the album to go off in a live set. The drum and bass adjacent “Life Keeps Going” showcases the expansive nature of the album, with Owusu not afraid to embrace change across the album’s run.
The album peaks on “Most Normal American Voter”, with its guitar hook as infectious as the album’s titular worldwide scourge currently taking grip on the world’s voting community. An obvious nod to the current state of the USA, “Most Normal American Voter” is the political anthem we need in 2026, as populist, right-winged politics infiltrates democratic society here and abroad. Despite being the shortest track on the album, it delivers the decisive punch.
Other stand outs include the downbeat groover “Falling Both Ways”, featuring guest vocals from Ladyhawke, while the neo-jazz-soul brilliance of “Blessed Are The Meek” adds another layer to an already dense musical lasagne. The synth heavy “Big Dog” feels like it’s either primed to be remixed, added to everyone’s running playlist, or at the very least confirmed for the next Fifa soundtrack. “Hellstar” is what Owusu classifies as a ‘post-apocalyptic love song’, and frankly, he’s spot on. With a guest verse from Duckwrth, “Hellstar” is the late night, dirty dance floor moment on the album that should be pumped in every RnB club from here to infinity.
A hidden gem comes in the form of “Runnin’ Outta Time”, which feels like it could have been a collaboration with The Cure or City Calm Down. Closer “One4All” ties the album together way too well, with a tender and reserved rap delivered by Owusu, as the chorus pleads with the antagonist to ‘just call on me, and I’ve got you/ hold on my friend, cos I’ve got you.” It’s a sweet sentiment that offers another varied insight into the genius that is Genesis Owusu.
The third album has a history of being tricky to deliver for a lot of artists. Too far removed from their breakthrough sounds, yet too soon to feel like a rebound from a potentially sloppy second release. It’s safe to say Genesis Owusu has avoided these tropes and delivered a release that I’m sure will end up on plenty of end-of-year lists. It’s wandering, expansive, exploratory, insightful, aggressive and magical all in one. With a couple risks taken on Redstar Wu & The Worldwide Scourge you’d think there might have been more misses than hits. It’s clear there’s only hits here.
FIVE STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Redstar Wu & The Worldwide Scourge is out Friday 15 May.
Genesis Owusu tours nationally throughout May. For more information on tour dates and to buy tickets, head here.
Lead image provided by PR.
