Following the release of their AFTERwork EP earlier this year, Swedish duo MAMI UMAMI are back with the gritty new single'(Don’t) think I like you’.
A collision of alt-pop, punk and hyperpop undertones alongside the duo’s hip-hop and dance tendencies, the Alex Lopez produced single is reminiscent of Mura Masa’s R.Y.C. whilst bringing a raw and infectious energy.
Written in the aftermath of their respective partners leaving for jobs in other cities, the track finds Jaquelin Elamiri, aka Miss Mami, and Leonard Furby navigating the messy emotional terrain that follows. Across its restless production, the duo move through denial, anger, bargaining and depression before arriving at something resembling acceptance.
Bringing punching beats, driving bass and synths all heavily saturated under the distorted lead vocals, the track is given a buzzing, fuzzy treatment that gives it a grit and intensity. Channeling frustration and uncertainty, while the vibrant chorus offers a rush of euphoric release, the track is angsty, unapologetic, yet bright, colourful and accessible.
Rather than presenting heartbreak as a solitary experience, MAMI UMAMI turn it into something shared. The studio becomes a place to process absence, frustration and longing with a close friend, transforming a difficult period into something energetic, playful and cathartic: “This song basically wrote itself in our shared heads in about 20 minutes after our partners had left us for work in other cities. Of course, we were incredibly happy for them — they’d both gotten amazing job offers. But no matter how happy we were for them, the sadness of being without them was huge.
Somewhere along the way, the ego takes over, and the sadness turns into this weird, completely unclear and totally unjustified kind of anger that says: I CAN DO THIS ON MY OWN AND, I (DON’T) THINK I LIKE YOU ANYWAY..
The parentheses in the title are the whole feeling. The love is actually bigger than ever, and all you really want is to be in the same room as the person you love. Sometimes, though, a sweaty studio and a friend to talk to will have to be enough.”
Listen below:
