Genesis Owusu has announced his third album. Find all the details below.
- READ MORE: Genesis Owusu: the show-stealing hero banging the drum for musical outsiders
The follow up to his 2023 LP ‘STRUGGLER’, ‘Redstar Wu & The Worldwide Scourge’, is set to arrive on May 15 via OURNESS. You can pre-order/pre-save it here.
The Australian musician has released a string of singles over the past few month – ‘Pirate Radio’, ‘Death Cult Zombie’ and ‘Stampede’ – and has now revealed they come from the upcoming album.
According to a press release, it offers a commentary on our modern, “unsettled” world, and will see Owusu delve into an eclectic range of genres, including neo-soul, alt pop, synth punk, funk and more.
“I started writing this album because I was seeing so much of the world and watching what was happening,” Owusu says. “I felt like I had something important to say. I was writing this almost for necessity because there were so many people not saying what needed to be said. I feel like I’m a student of Nina Simone, and she said, ‘the purpose of an artist is to reflect the times they live in’.”
To celebrate the album’s release in May, Owusu will be heading on tour in Australia, playing shows in Newcastle, Canberra, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth.
Presale tickets will be available from 12pm local time on Friday (March 20), and you can sign up here. General sale will begin on Monday (March 23) at 12pm, here. See all the dates below.
Genesis Owusu’s ‘Red Star Wu’s Pirate Radio’ 2026 tour dates are:
MAY
14 – Bar On The Hill, Newcastle
15 – UC Refectory, Canberra
17 – Fortitude Music Hall, Brisbane
18 – Enmore Theatre, Sydney
21 – Forum, Melbourne
23 – Thebarton Theatre, Adelaide
26 – Ice Cream Factory, Perth
Owusu’s last album, ‘STRUGGLER’, was awarded four stars from NME in a review that read: “No longer an underdog, Genesis Owusu is growing into life as a bonafide star. ‘Struggler’, the second album from the Ghanaian-born, Canberra-based musician, is the work of an artist giving power to some of his most radical sonic ideas.
“Songs don’t often build to a crescendo, they begin there. He indulges in futurist leanings – including a recurring motif of apocalypse and unpredictable chord progressions – with a striking confidence, a move which suggests that he has found the freedom to explore every facet of his talent as a writer and vocalist.”
It was also named NME‘s 18th Best Album of 2023, with its entry reading: “On Genesis Owusu’s second album, his star was glowing ever brighter. A concept album centering around a character called The Roach, Owusu’s output was an assured thrill, weaving rippling basslines, bursts of disco and funky riffs into a vibrant patchwork. In both its story and sound, ‘Struggler’ was brimming with bright ideas.”
