Swedish House Mafia have finally released their highly anticipated new single, “Lioness,” out now via Republic Records.
The Grammy-nominated trio’s melodic new house cut arrives today after months of delays. “Lioness,” which garnered early acclaim after its premiere during group member Steve Angello’s performance at Coachella in April, was originally scheduled for release on April 26.
However, one week past that date, after playing the track during their surprise performance in New York City, Swedish House Mafia told fans they “weren’t satisfied with the production and needed to do last minute changes.” One and a half months later, the final version of “Lioness” is here.
The track features a compelling flute intro before a commanding vocal performance from Niki & The Dove’s Malin Dahlström meets syncopated hi-hat rhythms and a steadily thumping kick drum, erupting with the trio’s famously anthemic groove and a powerful message of resilience.
“Lioness” is the third single expected to appear on Swedish House Mafia’s forthcoming second studio album, which has also been delayed considerably.
Performing at Tomorrowland in July 2023, Angello announced that the group’s awaited follow-up to Paradise Again would arrive before the end of that summer. Nine months after his announcement and the release of the album’s second single, “Ray of Solar,” the as-yet-unnamed album is still without a confirmed release date.
Paradise Again was also heavily delayed, with its originally scheduled release date in November 2021 pushed back to April 2022.
Even with the delays, it appears nothing can stop the Swedish House Mafia hype train. Recent live performances from the group and its members—Axwell and Sebastian Ingrosso, in addition to Angello—have featured several unreleased tracks rumored to be on the upcoming album.
With “Lioness” finally seeing the light of day, fans will hope that other crowd-favorite IDs like “Omen” and “Finally” with Alicia Keys are on the way soon too.
Listen to Swedish House Mafia’s “Lioness” featuring Niki & The Dove below.
Featured image from Swedish House Mafia.
