California rock band Warpaint has released a new single “Lily,” for HBO’s show Made for Love. “Lily,” is the band’s first new release since 2016. 

“Lily,” is a soothing, almost hypnotic song. The mid-tempo drum beat drives the sleepy, whispery vocals. The vocal harmonies layer on top of the smooth alto voice, painting an eerie parallel with the heavy reverberation of the synthesizer. That thrum reaches its peak about two-thirds of the way through the song. The singer questions the listener: “Would you rather be happy or rather be right?” It’s a pretty impressive build for a song that doesn’t contain many tempo or dynamic shifts – the drone is consistent throughout. 

“Lily” was written for HBO Max’s upcoming television show Made for Love. “Made For Love follows the story of Hazel Green (Cristin Milioti, How I Met Your Mother), as she enjoys a life of luxury within her seemingly perfect marriage, via TVLine. However, her husband Byron (Billy Magnussen, Black Mirror), a tech billionaire, complicates their happy relationship when he creates a chip that allows married couples to share their thoughts. When Hazel learns that Byron has implanted such a chip in her brain without her knowledge, she decides to flee to her father, Herbert (Ray Romano, Everybody Loves Raymond). There’s only one problem – Byron is tracking her every move and thought, and he knows exactly where she’s headed,” writes mxdwn television reporter, Sasha Kopca.

“Lily” is Warpaint’s first single since their 2016 “White Out.” The band’s latest studio album, Heads Up was released that same year. Previous studio albums have included Warpaint (2014) and The Fool (2010). They released a cover of Gang of Four’s song, “Paralysed.”

Warpaint’s current lineup consists of their founding members: Emily Kokal (vocals), Theresa Wayman (vocals), Jenny Lee Lindberg (bass) and Stella Mozgawa (drums). In the interim between Heads Up and their latest single, Theresea Wayman released both a single, “The Dream,” and an album, Lovelaws. 

Photo Credit: Sharon Alagna