New Years Day will release its 5th studio album, “Half Black Heart”, on March 1, 2024. The band has shared the music video for the title track of the album, which you can view now below.
“‘Half Black Heart’ is my anthem,” shares vocalist Ash Costello. “The concept behind it is simple yet powerful — no one is purely one thing. Nobody is so flawless that they have the right to pass judgment on someone else’s flaws. We all exist as a mix of good and bad, innocence and guilt, a bit angelic and a bit devilish.”
She continues: “The message is rooted in the idea that ‘he who is without sin can cast the first stone,’ meaning that no one is in a position to judge because everyone makes mistakes. I don’t believe in the idea of a flawless human being, and this song is my way of addressing those who may expect perfection from me. Essentially, it’s a declaration that neither I nor anyone else will ever be perfect.”
“The title ‘Half Black Heart’ visually symbolizes the essence of our band. It represents the duality that has always been a part of us — half red, half black; half heavy, half poppy; half dark, half fun, half metal, and half rock. We have always embraced our unique identity, but with this album, we truly harnessed the fearlessness that New Years Day embodies and translated it into our music.”
About the new song, Costello adds: “‘Secrets’ is about something I feel we have all been through at some point. With this song, I started by confronting myself with the question, ‘What is truly disturbing me right now?’ The answer that echoed in my mind was simple yet profound: secrets. We’ve all experienced that unsettling sensation when we sense that someone close to us is concealing something. It’s an intuitive feeling that gnaws at our core, leaving us with a sinking sensation in our stomachs. The weight of these hidden truths can be enough to bury you. This song serves as a realization that enough is enough.”