WITH VIDEO FROM CREATIVE DIRECTOR & CHOREOGRAPHER
NINA MCNEELY (RIHANNA, BJORK, BANKS)
ARRIVES TODAY, OCTOBER 30 ON X-BOP
“I want to get hearts racing, energy flowing, and make people feel good!” says John Roberts, singer & songwriter, EMMY Award-nominated actor (“Bob’s Burgers” Linda Belcher) and comedian upon the release of his new single “Freaks” today (October 30) on his label X-Bop. Produced by legendary studio artist and longtime club friend Junior Sanchez, “Freaks” has a vintage but completely modern vibe, digging deep into eighties new wave, pop and house music through the lens of the twenty-first century.
Listen to John Roberts’ “Freaks,” produced by Junior Sanchez here: https://snd.click/freaks
Watch the “Freaks” video, directed by Nina McNeely here:
Powered by vintage electro, indie panache & pop bombast, its corresponding video also arrives today. Directed by creative director and choreographer Nina McNeely (www.ninamcneely.net)—who has worked with such artists as Rihanna, Bjork and Banks—it complements the song with a Bauhaus-inspired theme. Unique moves from a synchronized line of dancers set among popped blocks of color gives “Freaks” a fresh retro look.
“I loved the remix Junior did for ‘Looking’ (Roberts 2019 debut single) and was a big fan of his production on Azealia Banks ‘Anna Wintour’ so of course he made the perfect choice for my new project,” says Roberts. “It’s a song about letting your freak flag fly—an empowerment song for freaks and those who have been cast aside. Vote for your freakness!”
“Freaks” is the follow-up to John Roberts’ 2019 self-titled EP. Produced by Big Black Delta, it featured his UK club hit “Looking.” Look for remixes for “Freaks” to be released by Harry Romero, Tommie Sunshine and Ant LaRock in the coming weeks, followed by more new music moving into 2021.
About John Roberts:
Hailing from Edison, NJ, John Roberts’ deep-rooted love for music can be traced back to his youth. At the onset of the 90’s he fell in love with the New York City rave scene and frequented the storied warehouse parties mythologized in movies like “Go.” He visited Other Music in the city’s fashion forward Village neighborhood on a weekly basis to buy new releases from Orbital, Moby and more. Going from music lover to being in a band was a no-brainer and Roberts found himself the front-man for Opti-Grab. The group released one album and toured relentlessly. Bringing things full circle, former tour-mates Blondie tapped him to drop some lyrical fire on “Love Level” from their critically acclaimed 2017 chart-topper Pollinator. “Looking,” a wild anthem produced by Big Black Delta, followed in 2019, marked his solo debut with remixes by Tensnake, Junior Sanchez and Gerd Janson. The song—which landed at #19 on UK club charts–along with “Dirty Little Secrets” and “Lonely Boys Have Fun Too” appeared on his self-titled EP released last summer. Flashforward to 2020, Roberts entered the studio with longtime club friend Junior Sanchez for its follow-up. “Freaks” due out this fall is one of the many songs the two collaborated on which will be released in 2021.
On the acting front, John Roberts has gone from viral YouTube clips like “The Christmas Tree,” “My Son is Gay” and “Jackie & Debra” (generating more than 40 million views) to appearances on “The Tonight Show,” “Archer” and more in addition to multiple tours alongside Margaret Cho. He went on to join the cast of the EMMY Award-winning “Bob’s Burgers” as lovable & loud matriarch Linda Belcher which landed him first EMMY nod in the category of “Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance” (2015). The show is now in its 10th season with a feature film to be released spring 2021.
Look for more exciting music to come from John Roberts.
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