GENESIS OWUSU Returns with New Album 'STRUGGLER' + "Leaving The Light" Video + Announces World Tour

GENESIS OWUSU RETURNS WITH NEW ALBUM ‘STRUGGLER’ & SHARES LEAD SINGLE “LEAVING THE LIGHT” * * * ‘STRUGGLER’ OUT AUGUST 18 VIA OURNESS / AWAL; WATCH “LEAVING THE LIGHT” VIDEO  HERE HEADLINE WORLD TOUR ANNOUNCED + PARAMORE NORTH AMERICAN SUPPORT DATES KICK OFF THIS MONTH

Press Photo by Bec Parsons  “THE STRUGGLER RUNS THROUGH AN ABSURD WORLD WITH NO ‘WHERE’ OR ‘WHY’ AT HAND. JUST AN INSTINCTUAL INNER RHYTHM, YELLING AT THEM TO SURVIVE THE PESTILENCE AND LIGHTING BOLTS COMING FROM ABOVE. A ROACH JUST KEEPS ROACHING.” - Genesis Owusu

PRAISE FOR GENESIS OWUSU - BET: "Genesis Owusu is back and better than ever” - BROOKLYN VEGAN: "Genre-defying Ghanaian-Australian artist Genesis Owusu's… psychedelic hip hop-soul"  - CONSEQUENCE: "the Ghanaian-Australian artist refuses to be stopped… Owusu’s talent burns too bright to be stamped out." - i-D: "Genesis Owusu grabs your hand and begins a warp speed journey through both his own psyche, and our chaotic shared reality... Owusu has clearly poured every ounce of himself into this debut album.” - PASTE MAGAZINE: "Smiling with No Teeth is consistently difficult to pin down in a way that feels nothing less than vital… the charismatic presence in the eye of the stylistic cyclone." - SPIN: "audacious, conceptual debut immediately positioned itself as an Album of the Year contender… a collage that transcends" - TEEN VOGUE: "exciting artistic vision... He's a poetic lyricist" - THE FADER: “Smiling's songs range from R&B ballads to psych-funk groovers to retrofuturist raps, with Owusu demonstrating an easy mastery of every style he tries.” - UPROXX: "Genesis Owusu is proving himself to be a surging creator with an imaginative mind"

Today, the dawn of a new era for Genesis Owusu begins. The ARIA award-winning Ghanaian-Australian artist, born Kofi Owusu-Ansah, announces his highly anticipated sophomore album, STRUGGLER, out on August 18 via OURNESS / AWAL. Additionally, he has announced his global headline world tour including dates in North America, Australia, the UK, Germany and more, and shares the album’s lead single, “Leaving the Light,” along with its video directed by globally-celebrated Aotearoa New Zealand visual artist Lisa Reihana. Watch / listen to “Leaving The Light” here: https://youtu.be/bdYtpO1uXpo.  “LEAVING THE LIGHT” OFFICIAL VIDEO

After launching onto the global map with his critically acclaimed debut album, 2021’s Smiling with No Teeth, Owusu takes his next steps forward with STRUGGLER; an imminent exploration of the chaos and absurdity of life, and our ability to endure. Where Smiling With No Teeth uncovered the battle against depression and racism, STRUGGLER is about how to get through it. The album takes inspiration from a close friend hitting the brink and coming through the other side, in conjunction with prompted questions of life and beauty that Owusu found himself contemplating during readings of Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot and Franz Kafka’s Metamorphosis. Recorded between the US and Australia, the album’s producers traverse musical genres; from Jason Evigan (RUFUS DU SOL, SZA), to Mikey Freedom Hart (Jon Batiste’s 2021 Grammy of the Year Album, We Are), Sol Was (Beyoncé’s Renaissance), and original producers, Andrew Klippel and Dave Hammer. Additionally, Owusu has collaborated with Lisa Reihana on STRUGGLER’s complete visual identity. Having been showcased in elite institutions throughout the US and EU including the Venice Biennale for her critically-acclaimed video installation, In Pursuit of Venus [Infected], Reihana’s work spans a diverse range of mediums. From film, to costume and body adornment, plus video installation, Reihana has rightfully earned a reputation as a world-renowned artist and producer, engaging in thought-provoking dialogues around the concept of culture. Today, Owusu's latest chapter unfolds with the album’s lead single “Leaving the Light,” a fervent anthem about survival and perseverance. Opening to a spine-crawling run of bass notes, “Leaving the Light” sets an urgent tone for the new album. The immediacy hits through Owusu’s feverish verses and echoed shouts, including a jolting mix of poetic punk and melodic catharsis, and exploring form and rhythm across the track.  ‘STRUGGLER’ TRACKLIST 1. Leaving The Light 2. The Roach 3. The Old Man 4. See Ya There 5. Freak Boy 6. Tied Up! 7. That’s Life (A Swamp) 8. Balthazar 9. Stay Blessed 10. What Comes Will Come 11. Stuck To The Fan

Owusu’s live show is never one to disappoint and, today, he also announces his STRUGGLER World Tour heading to countries across the globe including the United States, Canada, the UK and, of course, Australia where he will have Atlanta’s Earthgang supporting him. The North American shows will be his first headline dates here since his sold out run of shows in early 2022 supporting Smiling With No Teeth, including sold out gigs at Los Angeles’ The Roxy Theatre and New York’s Bowery Ballroom. His World Tour follows upcoming shows with Paramore where he will support the group across North America including two nights at Madison Square Garden, and he is also set to perform at the Boston Calling festival on Sunday, May 28.  In addition to his sold out 2022 headline shows, Owusu previously gave notable performances at North American festivals including Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits, Osheaga Festival and This Ain’t No Picnic, Barcelona’s Primavera Sound and Australia’s Splendour in the Grass. He also played support dates with Glass Animals, Khruangbin and Thundercat in the US and Tame Impala in Australia. Earlier this year, the musician played a two-city performance series, Red Bull Symphonic, which saw him perform to a sold out Sydney Opera House along with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra (watch here). One of Australia's most-celebrated recent albums, Smiling With No Teeth demonstrated the beginning of Owusu’s profound artistic revolution and soul-bearing expression. The album secured triple j’s Album of the Year and 4x ARIA award titles, including Album of the Year alongside radio support from NPR stations across the US (KCRW, KEXP, WXPN and more), triple j and BBC Radio. Global acclaim also came from tastemakers and critics alike, including Los Angeles Times, AV Club, KCRW, Paste, The Needle Drop, BET, American Songwriter, OkayPlayer, and many more. Owusu additionally saw his album track, "Gold Chains," included in President Obama's Favorite Music of 2021, and he made his late night debut performing the song on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. He followed the album with his Missing Molars EP and acclaimed standalone singles in 2022 – “GTFO” and “Get Inspired.”  Get ready for what’s next from the unstoppable GENESIS OWUSU!  GENESIS OWUSU 2023 TOUR DATES 5/20 Coffs Harbour, AUS - Storyland @ Park Beach Reserve 5/23 Charlotte, NC - Spectrum Center** 5/25 Atlanta, GA - State Farm Arena** 5/28 Boston, MA - Boston Calling 5/30 New York, NY - Madison Square Garden** 5/31 New York, NY - Madison Square Garden** 6/02 Washington, DC - Capitol One Arena** 6/04 Cleveland, OH - Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse** 6/05 Indianapolis, IN - Gainbridge Fieldhouse** 6/07 Detroit, MI - Little Caesars Arena** 6/08 Toronto, ON - Scotiabank Arena** 6/10 Columbus, OH - Schottenstein Center** 6/11 Pittsburgh, PA - PPG Paints Arena** 6/13 Orlando, FL - Amway Center** 6/14 Hollywood, FL - Hard Rock Live** 10/12 Minneapolis, MN - Fine Line 10/13 Chicago, IL - Thalia Hall 10/14 Ferndale, MI - The Loving Touch 10/15 Pittsburgh, PA - Thunderbird Music Hall 10/17 Toronto, ON - The Velvet Underground 10/18 Montreal, QC - Le Studio TD 10/19 Boston, MA - The Sinclair 10/20 Brooklyn, NY - Elsewhere 10/21 Philadelphia, PA - Underground Arts 10/25 Washington, DC - Union Stage 10/27 Charlotte, NC - Visulite Theatre  10/28 Atlanta, GA - Terminal West 10/29 Nashville, TN - The Basement East 10/31 Austin, TX - Empire Control Room & Garage 11/01 Dallas, TX - The Studio at The Factory 11/03 Denver, CO - Globe Hall 11/06 Los Angeles, CA - The Fonda Theatre 11/07 San Francisco, CA - The Independent 11/09 Seattle, WA - Neumos 11/10 Portland, OR - Star Theatre 11/11 Vancouver, BC - Rickshaw Theatre 11/15 London, UK - Heaven 11/16 Paris, FR - Café de la Danse 11/17 Berlin, DE - Hole44 12/01 Perth, AUS - Ice Cream Factory 12/08 Melbourne, AUS - Festival Hall 12/09 Canberra, AUS - UC Refectory 12/14 Brisbane, AUS - Fortitude Music Hall 12/15 Sydney, AUS - Hordern Pavilion 12/16 Adelaide, AUS - Hindley St Music Hall **notes tour dates with Paramore, Bloc Party