October 22nd, 2021 – Independent singer-songwriter Menna announces the release of ‘Hurt You’, a song of protest to condemn and satirize the love of guns. Written from the perspective of a gun, the single of the Austinite-turned-Nashvillian artist aims to join the fight against the surging gun and domestic violence in the United States by channeling and tapping into the power of music, art, and lyrics.
The innate elegance of Menna’s voice blends with thought-provoking metaphors that allude to the pervasive normalcy of gun violence in the United States, creating a clear dichotomy for the whole song to revolve around. Teeming with haunting melodies and approachable pop hooks on a full-bodied beat, ‘Hurt You’ acts as the grotesque personification of a gun, with visually evocative lyrics whose goal is to shake the listener’s soul and perception around the topic.
While the song suggests the circularity of a vicious cycle, the intimate production by Mark Siegel (Seaforth, Jacob Whitesides, Kane Brown) takes it to an elaborate crescendo that prioritizes guitar riffs and harmonies, giving it an explicitly organic feel. Testament to the pains and contradictions of gun violence, ‘Hurt You’ wants to be a public confession, a cry for help, and a hymn of hope – all at the same time. The song is meant to provoke individual thought on why people defend these inanimate objects and expect them to do anything but cause harm.
“I wrote it on a dark day as the world reeled from yet another mass shooting. The immediate defense of, and obsession with, guns screamed for attention,” says Meredith ‘Menna’ Morgan. “Together with Ryan Creamer and Jessica Sharman, we gave a cold piece of metal a voice.”
As stated by The Gun Violence Archive, halfway through 2021, the United States has seen more than 280 mass shootings. According to The Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence, “a woman is five times more likely to be murdered when her abuser has access to a gun”. In the United States, men often give their guns, as well as cars, boats, and other prized possessions, female names and refer to them affectionately as ‘her’ and ‘she’, illustrating there’s a clear correlation between gun possession and domestic violence.
“To me, it’s a glaring example of the feigned respect and adoration for the feminine body. Yet, the core of this pseudo-chivalric love is objectification and ownership. This also ties into the vixen archetype, framing women and their bodies as inherently evil,” Menna continues. “The gun is this unapologetic seductress you love for her power but hate for her heartlessness. She’s made of red flags but remains confident and unbothered. She knows you’ll keep ignoring the warnings, wanting her thrills, adding to her body count.”
Everytown Research claims that “while intimate partner violence involving guns presents a bleak problem, federal and state policies and practices that disrupt abusers’ access to guns can save lives”. Harvard School of Public Health adds: “Research shows that whether attempters live or die depends in large part on the ready availability of highly lethal means, especially firearms”. (source: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/magazine/guns-and-suicide/)
With a trademark indie voice, Menna draws comparisons to Sia, Tori Kelly, and Nick Jonas. Menna’s music has already been placed on Netflix originals such as Elite, Selling Sunset, and The Sleepover, as well as in ad campaigns for Motorola, Mitsubishi, and NBC, establishing her as a new artist to watch for her outspokenness in societal matters dipped in a pop, R&B, and soul melange.‘Hurt You’, distributed by Symphonic, is released today on all streaming platforms together with an accompanying T-shirt that recalls the album artwork. For the rest of 2021, 100% of the T-shirt profits will be donated to The National Domestic Violence Hotline, an organization that provides essential tools and support to help survivors of domestic violence so they can live their lives free of abuse. A music video for ‘Hurt You’, directed by J.T. McCreery and produced by Ryan Atenhan will be released on Tuesday, November 9th, 2021.
NOTES TO EDITORS
For press enquiries, please contact:
T: 323 348 0972,
E: [email protected]
‘Hurt You’ assets:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/62a0tuIRCPNmB0TUDvVPUm
YouTube (audio): https://youtu.be/K-AVPX9CWT0
Press pictures: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1LmKHn_8REVqSe8dYyivQG_qyEJpF5FOn?usp=sharing
Press videos: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/17jwVVRZ6Rygj5-qrGuFxqc3la0Rutk9E?usp=sharing
‘Hurt You’ credits:
Written by Meredith ‘Menna’ Morgan, Ryan Creamer, Jessica Sharman
Produced by Mark Siegel
Distributed by Symphonic
About Menna:
Menna is an independent singer-songwriter based in Nashville, Tennessee. Pairing approachable pop hooks with visually evocative lyrics, the Austinite-turned-Nashvillian combines the heart of a folk writer with R&B tinged vocal styling. Menna’s songs have featured commercially in several Netflix originals, as well as in ad campaigns for Motorola, Mitsubishi, and NBC. Her latest single ‘Hurt You’ sounds like toxic love, aggressive and seductive.
Listen to Menna on:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5kLvMAFanr3jQ7iuciSCuM
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/menna/1229788425
Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/artists/B002B33DUI/menna
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfrWGHFnt1umsjsRN9dYsFQ?sub_confirmation=1
Follow Menna on:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mennanation/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mennamusic
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mennanation
Media Contact
Company Name: Lore Entertainment
Contact Person: Ben Watts
Email: Send Email
City: Nashville
State: TN
Country: United States
Website: https://mennanation.com/