Michael Kiwanuka escapes an uncomfortable situation with his new single, ‘Floating Parade’

Michael Kiwanuka has unveiled his latest single, ‘Floating Parade’, marking his first new music since 2021.

The track follows Kiwanuka’s recent return to live performances, including a notable set on Glastonbury’s Pyramid Stage last month where ‘Floating Parade’ made its debut. The song reunites Kiwanuka with producers Danger Mouse and Inflo, the team behind his past two records.

Kiwanuka explains the concept behind the song: “The floating parade is the metaphorical movement of taking yourself out of an uncomfortable situation and seeking comfort elsewhere, driven almost solely by the power of the mind.”

This release comes after Kiwanuka’s critically acclaimed third album, ‘KIWANUKA’, which won the Mercury Prize in 2020 and earned him his first Grammy nomination for Best Rock Album. His last release was the standalone track ‘Beautiful Life’ in 2021, featured in the Netflix documentary ‘Convergence: Courage in a Crisis’ by Oscar-winning director Orlando von Einsiedel.

Following a series of festival performances, including a headline slot at Wilderness in Oxfordshire, Kiwanuka will embark on a 14-date joint headline tour of the US with Brittany Howard in late September.

The dates in full read:

JULY
12 Nos Alive, Lisbon, Portugal
17 Gurtenfestival, Bern, Switzerland
19 Montreux Festival, Montreux, Switzerland

AUGUST
3 Wilderness Festival (Headline), Oxfordshire, UK
9 Syd For Solen, Copenhagen, Denmark
10 Grape Festival, Letisko Trenčín, Slovakia

SEPTEMBER
25 Queen Elizabeth Hall, Toronto, Canada (headline date)
26 Mtelus, Montreal, Canada (headline date)
28 All Things Go Festival, Columbia, USA
29 The Met, Philadelphia, USA (w/ Brittany Howard)
30 Roadrunner, Boston, USA (w/ Brittany Howard)

OCTOBER
2 The Capitol Theatre, Port Chester, USA (w/ Brittany Howard)
3 Summerstage In Central Park, New York, USA (w/ Brittany Howard)
6 Palace Theatre, Saint Paul, USA (w/ Brittany Howard)
8 The Mission Ballroom, Denver, USA (w/ Brittany Howard)
10 Idaho Botanical Garden: Outlaw Field, Boise, USA (w/ Brittany Howard)
11 Edgefield Concerts, Troutdale, USA (w/ Brittany Howard)
12 Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Vancouver, Canada (w/ Brittany Howard)
14 Britt Festival Pavilion, Jacksonville, USA (w/ Brittany Howard)
15 Paramount Theatre, Seattle, USA (w/ Brittany Howard)
17 The Greek Theatre, Berkeley, USA (w/ Brittany Howard)
18 Greek Theatre, Los Angeles, USA (w/ Brittany Howard)
19 Vina Robles Amphitheatre, Paso Robles, USA (w/ Brittany Howard)