Meg Mac returns with new single 'He Said No' from upcoming new album 'It's My Party'
Image: Heather Gildroy
Chart topping Australian soul-pop artist Meg Mac today returns with her new single ‘He Said No’, the first taste of her upcoming fourth album It’s My Party, due out later this year.
‘He Said No’ is a glorious melding of pop, synths, soul and a touch of funk and was created by Mac and producer Nathan Jenkins aka Bullion (Carly Rae Jepsen, Ben Howard) by building the song around a newly rediscovered old vocal loop of Mac’s.
"We found this 'he said no' vocal loop and Nathan pulled it up and built this whole world around it," Mac says. "But then I had to figure out what 'He Said No' even meant and figure out what I would sing."
Mac eventually landed on a story of loss and goodbyes set around an airport, taking inspiration from the John Denver classic ‘Leaving on a Jet Plane’ but flipping its narrative.
"I am obsessed with that song and I wanted to capture that feeling, but from the person left behind at the airport," she says. “Nothing seems sadder than dropping someone to the airport and not knowing if you'll ever see them again.”
As a result, while the soundscape is uplifting and even joyous, the lyrics contrast that joy with melancholy as Mac takes her partner to the airport thinking he will change his mind about going, only to be devastated when ‘he said no’. ‘Now I’m crying at the airport / My number one is on the run / And I don’t know when or if I’ll ever see him again,” she sings.
The music video for the song follows the airport theme, with Mac performing against a backdrop of stunning footage from aeroplane landings - courtesy of her dad - coupled with a vintage Photobooth look.
"My favourite thing is the background videos, they're taken from my Dad,” she says. “He was an airline pilot and setup his phone in the cockpit and would do these timelapse videos. They're all Australian cities and landings and so pretty."
To celebrate her new music and upcoming album, Mac will perform a pop-up residency at Sydney's Belvoir Street Theatre in August. Across three Monday nights, Mac will perform tracks from her catalogue as well as exclusive first live performances of music from It’s My Party. Working with award-winning director and lighting designer Alexander Berlage, the shows will bring a carefully crafted blend of music, storytelling, and environment for Mac’s most intimate performances to date.
First releasing music in 2013, Mac has become one of Australia’s most acclaimed as well as versatile artists. Her first chart breakthrough came in 2015 when her single ‘Never Be’ hit the ARIA Top 40 Singles chart, with her debut album Low Blows peaking at number 2 in 2017. Her third album, 2022’s Matter of Time, went one better, hitting number one on the ARIA Albums Chart while also earning her an ARIA Music Award nomination for Best Solo Artist.
With a stunning, soulful, emotive voice Mac has authentically inhabited soul, pop and torch ballads and her music is a perfectly crafted mix of enticing music with powerful storytelling that never fails to connect with you and give you the feels. ‘He Said No’ is no exception, and with its intriguing new sonic path, It’s My Party promises to be another triumph for Mac.
‘He Said No’ is out now via Universal Music. You can download and stream here.
To keep up with all things Meg Mac you can follow her on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.
