Magi Merlin shares new single SpiceKick, announces debut album POWER HOUSE

Magi Merlin swings big on new single SpiceKick and its propulsive video, compressing all her eclectic tastes into a high-stakes tune on which she reconfigures alt-R&B on her own terms. The track arrives alongside the announcement of her debut album, POWER HOUSE, due July 10th, 2026 via Bonsound. The video, directed by Félicie Diaz and Noshirt, is punk, corporeal and choreography-forward, as relentless as the track itself. To celebrate the start of this new era, Merlin will be playing a free show at The Baby G in Toronto tonight; RSVP here.

I wanted to open the project with something loud, flashy, and seemingly arrogant, explains Merlin. The track, though, is a kind of façade. I’ve felt as confident as SpiceKick sounds, but that feeling can’t last forever, perhaps it shouldn't. Sometimes arrogance becomes a cover for fear and inadequacy. The mask slips at the end when I tell the listener to save themselves from me. SpiceKick is an ode to ego and self-confidence, something that can curdle into self-loathing if left unchecked.

SpiceKick follows POPSTAR, the first taste from her debut full-length. The single premiered on BBC Radio 6 Music (Huw Stephens’ show and New Music Fix) before garnering attention from both local and international media, including Clash Magazine, KCRW, France Inter, FIP, and CBC. POPSTAR arrived as Magi was wrapping a European support run with Yaya Bey, the latest in a string of momentum that’s been building steadily across both sides of the Atlantic.

About POWER HOUSE

Magi Merlin’s debut LP, POWER HOUSE, is a high-production, 12-track masterclass in modern pop - an infectious, high-energy record that feels deceptively familiar at first touch, yet every time you reach for a comparison, you realize it doesn't quite fit; a one-of-one project that remains as polished as it is daring.

Conceptually, POWER HOUSE is an exploration of the internal architecture we all inhabit, housing the conflicting rooms of anger, fear, vanity, and ultimately, a reclaimed sense of power. Where Magi Merlin’s previous work, Gone Girl, was a study of external strength, this new era is an ode to the realization that inner work is the only true outer work. With a perspective that is both empathetic and furious, and a grow-as-you-go philosophy, she proves that real change starts small but sounds massive.

The record serves as a realist’s manifesto, navigating the duality of the modern female experience. Writing from her perspective as a bisexual/ENM woman, Merlin explores the contradictions of seeking validation in both platonic and romantic contexts. She deconstructs the plastic confidence used as modern armor, the performative standards of the beauty industry, and the systemic pressures that force women to navigate their lives with hyper-caution. From flashy, artificial boastfulness to radical, empathetic self-reflection, POWER HOUSE refuses to look away from the uncomfortable.

About Magi Merlin

Magi Merlin [pronounced Mahd-j-eye] calls her sound ‘Broken R&B’, but really, it’s whatever she feels like breaking down and rebuilding in the studio. It's a singular sonic universe that defies easy comparison, fusing indie pop, ’90s house, R&B, hip-hop, and jazz into a collage where the glue is a masterful use of harmonies and a clever juxtaposition of lyrical lightness and depth. Merlin doesn't just write and compose; she acts as a co-producer with long-time collaborator Funkywhat and the driving force behind the project's art direction, ensuring the visual world is as intentional and self-defined as the music.

With her 2022 EP Gone Girl, the Montreal-based artist gained praise from outlets including Bandcamp Daily, The FADER, The Line of Best Fit, and Nylon, which led to touring with Noga Erez and Omar Apollo. Ever since, Merlin has kept busy, working on new music, releasing singles and a smaller surprise project: A Weird Little Dog, which dropped as she began a US tour supporting saxophonist Nubya Garcia. She then reworked IDLES’ POP POP POP, flipping it into a club banger that she performed live for Glamcult TV. She’s made continuous festival appearances at Osheaga, Festival d’été de Québec (opening for Ty Dolla $ign), Treefort, Reeperbahn, and the Montreal International Jazz Festival, while simultaneously making her acting debut in Mile End Kicks (with Barbie Ferreira, Devon Bostick and Juliette Gariépy). After unveiling her creative work one layer at a time over the last few years, Magi Merlin will unleash POWER HOUSE, her debut album, onto the world on July 10th, 2026. The title alone tells you she’s not playing it safe.

Follow Magi Merlin: Instagram / TikTok / YouTube / Bandcamp

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