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Exclusive: Listen to new Michael Kiwanuka song 'Rule the World'

Kiwanuka started writing the track at London's RAK Studios, where this session video was filmed

Jess Denham
Tuesday 14 June 2016 06:09 EDT
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Kiwanuka's latest album has been produced by Grammy winner Danger Mouse
Kiwanuka's latest album has been produced by Grammy winner Danger Mouse

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With just a month to go until the arrival of Michael Kiwanuka’s long-awaited second album, the BBC Sound of 2012 winner has shared a gorgeous session video of a brand new song exclusively with us.

“Rule the World” will be the eighth track on upcoming record Love & Hate, produced by the Grammy-winning Danger Mouse. The album follows 2012’s Home Again, which reached number four in the UK charts.

“I started writing ‘Rule The World' in London, actually at RAK Studios (where the below video was filmed),” Kiwanuka says. “I was with Inflo, we were just sitting around with guitars and that riff came and I started singing the first few lyrics.

“The song is quite abstract but it’s effectively about how you sometimes hold yourself back because you’re scared of something, or you’re worried, and all that stuff stops you from doing anything. If you’re always concentrating on how you’re feeling at the time then you don’t do anything.”

“You don’t have to be a rich man, or the best musician, or the best singer before you can relax and enjoy being a musician.”

Love & Hate is due for release on 15 July

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