Today, Sparks, who are brothers Ron and Russell Mael, has released “JanSport Backpack,” which is the second single from their upcoming album, MAD!. The song is a bittersweet pop song portraying a fading love in Sparks’ inimitable fashion, which is her JanSport backpack that is a sad reminder of a relationship on the rocks.

As for the album, MAD! finds Ron and Russell examining cultural phenomena such as branded backpacks, tattoos, performative devotion, which is whether to a God, a lover, a celebrity or a sports team, the hegemony of banter and the rise of influencers. The satire is never on-the-nose,  because it always retains enough ambiguity for the listener to fill in the blanks.

Musically, there are nods to New Wave, Synthpop, Art Rock, Electronic Opera and all genres Sparks had hands in pioneering or straight-up invented. When you hear echoes of other artists, from Air to Shostakovich, you remind yourself that they are all people who Sparks influenced in the first place.

MAD! Track List

1. Do Things My Own Way
2. JanSport Backpack
3. Hit Me, Baby
4. Running Up A Tab At The Hotel For The Fab
5. My Devotion
6. Don’t Dog It
7. In Daylight
8. I-405 Rules
9. A Long Red Light
10. Drowned In A Sea Of Tears
11. A Little Bit Of Light Banter
12. Lord Have Mercy