Madison McFerrin’s “Hindsight” is a testament to a tumultuous year

The last time we checked in with Madison McFerrin, the world was a fundamentally different place. It was January–pre-pandemic, pre-election–and the Philadelphia-raised, Brooklyn-based singer / producer / songwriter played a couple of gorgeous, loop-based tracks from her debut 2018 EP, You + I.

A lot has changed since then, and yesterday, McFerrin released a new track, “Hindsight.” A “love letter to Bernie Sanders,” “Hindsight” is a reflection on the trials and tribulations of the tumultuous year.

“I wrote [“Hindsight”] in May 2020, filled with anxiety from COVID and the coming election feeling let down by the Democratic Party, longing for a candidate that believed in climate change, student loan forgiveness, and Medicare for All during a global pandemic,” McFerrin said. “It’s a song about heartbreak—wishing you could change the past, knowing you have to continue forward regardless.”

It’s a slow, brooding track that opens with bare piano chords and McFerrin asking “How should I let you go?” Eventually, the track expands outward, abound with drum fills and synths. McFerrin’s buttery vocals are on full display, dipping between octaves with a carefree ease.

“Hindsight” was released as a part of Mexican Summer’s Looking Glass series. Pitchfork reports that the track is also a “preview” of McFerrin’s upcoming debut solo album, set to be released in 2021.

Check out the music video for Madison McFerrin’s “Hindsight” below, and purchase the track on Bandcamp here.