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CCLAIMED SINGER-SONGWRITER MACEY UNVEILS NEW ANTHEM ‘MONA LISA MONEY‘
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Following the critical success of his 2024 EP, how to say goodbye, acclaimed New Zealand singer-songwriter MACEY returns with his first new single of the year, the infectious and thought-provoking anthem, ‘Mona Lisa Money‘. The track is out today via FiveAM/Warner Music New Zealand. Listen HERE.
The single is a lush folk-rock fable that serves as a critical social commentary on modern society’s obsession with wealth and external validation. Written in Limehouse, London, with collaborators Demi Louise and Kiah Gossner, ‘Mona Lisa Money’ holds a magnifying glass to the true cost of chasing riches in a climate of overconsumption.
Lyrically tongue-in-cheek yet deeply critical, the song tells the tale of an individual who sacrificed personal connection for material success, only to lose it all. MACEY’s poetic lyricism contrasts confronting themes with tender melodies, emphasizing the importance of defining success on one’s own terms. He sings, “Fancy shoes, shit to prove, if he could he’d buy the Louvre, counts his checks but I don’t count him lucky, Living for that Mona Lisa Money”.
Reflecting on the song’s inspiration, MACEY shares a personal warning and a wider critique:
“I based the song off an old fella I knew that had hungered his whole life for success, got to the top, and then had to leave that world behind as he got very ill. He definitely hurt a lot of people and burnt a lot of bridges along the way,” MACEY reflects. “It felt like a little warning to myself – don’t get caught up in comparison, envy, having everything all at once… it’s all surface level and leaves you when you die anyway. I hope the song reminds us all to remain present and count every blessing. This is my anti-capitalism anthem, a folk fable wrapped in a blanket of rock and roll, something to make your heart ache and your feet tap”.
The new single arrives alongside a captivating, cinematic music video directed by Mason Bennett, which follows a businessman caught in the superficial facade of success until his life passes him by. The track’s production, finished with Ben Malone in New Zealand, features a striking violin section that pulls the sound from Americana into a British folk vibe.
With ‘Mona Lisa Money’, MACEY solidifies his reputation as one of New Zealand’s most compelling lyricists, delivering a rousing, heartfelt, and thought-provoking journey that is ready for listeners to dance along to.
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