It took Mike Hadreas, AKA Perfume Genius, an album and three songs into his career to incorporate drums into his hushed, fragile music. Even as late as this year’s SXSW, where he performed new tunes, every chord of his keyboard and quiver of his voice called for his trademark you-could-hear-a-pin-drop level of silence.
In that sense, Hadreas’ latest single, “Queen,” feels like an earthquake, a volcano—any kind of eruption imaginable. It’s got bombastic synths and rotund drums in place of solitary piano keys, a confident snarl in place of Hadreas’ previous whimper; whereas his old songs were sung from dark corners, “Queen” finds Hadreas in the center of the room, rightfully flaunting his message to anyone and anything within earshot. And if you don’t want to hear it, you best be getting the hell out of his way.