London-based alternative pop duo Oh Wonder have returned with their first new single in over two years, “Hallelujah.” It serves as the long-awaited follow-up to their 2017 album, Ultralife, and the first single off their yet-to-be-announced album.
The writing, recording, and producing duo — consisting of Anthony West and Josephine Vander Gucht — have spent the past few years garnering over 2 billion streams, more than a million record sales globally, and selling more than 300,000 headlining tickets globally. The relationship between West and Gucht, over time, has evolved into more than just a platonic friendship — allowing their new music ti embody all the high points and low points that come with doing everything with your significant other.
“Hallelujah” is a perfect embodiment of everything that Oh Wonder has been up to this point, and will grow to be moving forward. It’s an infectious, catchy anthem that was written and recorded in the home of West and Gucht in just one take, in collaboration with Gregory Ohrel and Supple Nam.
“’Hallelujah’ is a song of defiance that we wrote for anyone that has ever been told they can’t do something. As music-making teenagers, we were both discouraged by naysayers who declared that we would never be successful, that we weren’t good enough, and that we could never be superstars, so we should just give up,” explains Oh Wonder on the new single. “When we met each other, we bonded over our shared experiences of setbacks and near-misses, and set ourselves the highly unrealistic goal of releasing music and touring the world. After two albums and a world tour of 43 countries, we have only recently had a chance to process the last 5 years. ‘Hallelujah’ is a reminder to ourselves, as much as anyone else, to not care what people think of you, to work hard, be yourself and try your best. It’s our personal anthem of self-acceptance that we hope will encourage others to “wear their crowns”, no matter what anyone else says.”