Founding Sonic Youth member Kim Gordon has announced plans to release her third official solo album, Play Me. The 12-track collection, which is due out on March 13, is full of melodic beats while also featuring the influence of krautrock.
Play Me finds Gordon turning a critical eye on the current political climate in the United States, as well as the effect modern technology, specifically AI, is having on humanity.
The album continues Kim’s collaboration with producer Justin Raisen, who also worked on her first two solo efforts—No Home Record (2019) and The Collective (2024).
Regarding collaborating with Raisen on Play Me, Gordon said in a statement, “We wanted the songs to be short. We wanted to do it really fast. It’s more focused, and maybe more confident. I always kind of work off of rhythms, and I knew I wanted it to be even more beat-oriented than the last one. Justin really gets my voice and my lyrics and he understands how I work—that came forth even more on this record.”
Dave Grohl contributed drums to a track titled “Busy Bee.” The song features a sample of Kim talking with her Free Kitten bandmate Julia Cafritz during a 1990s media appearance. The audio clip is modified to transform the conversation into high-pitched squeaks.
Gordon has released a track called “Not Today” as the first advance single from Play Me. The song features slightly eerie indie-pop instrumentation set to a driving beat. A music video for the tune has debuted at Gordon’s official YouTube channel.
About “Not Today” and Its Companion Video
Kim said of the way she approached her vocals for “Not Today,” “I started singing in a way I hadn’t sung in a long time. This other voice came out.”
The video was directed by filmmakers Kate and Laura Mulleavy, who also are the founders of the Rodarte fashion label. The clip features Gordon dancing around a suburban home wearing tulle dress custom-made for her by the Mulleavy sisters.
“She was our idol and we vividly remember fitting the dress with her in NYC,” the siblings said in a joint statement. “When we started to conceptualize the video, Kim brought up wearing the dress, which we knew was perfect for the video idea.”
A Zoom conversation about the “Not Today” video between Gordon, the Mulleavy, and the film’s director of photography, Christopher Blauvelt, has been posted on Kim’s YouTube channel.
More About ‘Play Me’
Play Me also features “Byebye25!,” a remake of The Collective’s lead track, “Bye Bye.” The new song incorporates terms from a list of banned words President Trump’s administration flagged in canceling grant and research proposals.
Another new song, “Dirty Tech,” laments the potential havoc AI might wreak in the future.
“I was kind of musing about, is my next boss going to be an AI chatbot?” Gordon offered. “We’re the first ones whose lights are going to go out—not the tech billionaires. It’s so abstract that people can’t comprehend.”
Play Me can be pre-ordered now. The album is available on CD, as a black or yellow vinyl LP, and via digital formats.
‘Play Me’ Track List:
- “Play Me”
- “Girl With A Look”
- “No Hands”
- “Black Out”
- “Dirty Tech”
- “Not Today”
- “Busy Bee”
- “Square Jaw”
- “Subcon”
- “Post Empire”
- “Nail Biter”
- “Byebye25!”
(Photo by Scott Dudelson/Getty Images for FIREAID)