Thundermerwe are a rap, rock and electro-influenced band from Johannesburg that describe their sound as being “…a solid musical experience with no language or genre barriers so that anyone can immerse themselves in it. The band encourages listeners to find their own truth and meaning though all of life’s obstacles.”
Today sees the release of their new track ‘South I Freak On’, which makes use of a bouncy guitar and drum intro to establish its happy-go-lucky tone. As flashes of images from the city of Johannesburg fill the screen, it becomes clear that Mzansi pride and unity is one of the track’s big themes. This is further appropriated by other proudly South African imagery in lyrics – the chanting of lyrics like “No one’s gonna take my braai away” is, after all, not something you’re ever going to here in any other country.
Lyrically, the track features a strong, driving chorus that is made memorable by its inherent simplicity. This is also the part of the song during which the vocals provided by lead singer Whill Van Staden are able to shine. The rapped verses, while attempting to be poignant and patriotic, do tend to fall flat in terms of their lyrical content at times – yet that does not mean that this style of music will be unappealing to fans of the rap-rock amalgamation genre. Watch the video below.
Follow Elmarie on Twitter.
