The electrifying Philadelphia-based trio Soul Glo released their new single “If I Speak (Shut The F*ck Up)” on September 5th, 2023 via Epitaph. The track appears to be a stand-alone single shared in preparation for the band’s busy month of touring. Along with the LA band ZULU, Soul Glo will be on the road from Sept. 7th to Oct. 7th, stopping in Philadelphia on Oct. 1st for a night at the First Unitarian Church.
This group’s musical roots lie in hardcore punk, rap, and rock, usually containing loud, aggressive guitar riffs and live drums paired with Pierce Jordan’s energetic lead vocals. Their first project untitled was originally released on Dec. 12th, 2014 to Bandcamp, with an extended version being shared on New Year’s Day in 2016. Since then, Soul Glo has gone on to release two more albums, one being the acclaimed breakthrough Diaspora Problems (2022).
In “If I Speak,” the band takes on the public—specifically those who care to comment on their work— in an aggressive, NSFW (not safe for work) fashion. Jordan and crew repeatedly barrage the audience with insults and commands to “shut the f*ck up” over a menacing electric guitar progression. Behind this refrain however is a detailed critique on the nay-sayers, exposing them as uninformed, ignorant bag-fumblers who do not know themselves as well as the band members know themselves. Lines such as “I been called every name in every book of the dozens / but I knew who the f*ck I was and who the f*ck I wasn’t,” and “You should be asking ‘Goddamn who gonna hire me,’” are lyrical standouts throughout the witty track.
Paired with the song is a strikingly strange and graphic music video, featuring shackled-up men in very little clothing in an unsettling basement full of old technology and… sex toys. A partly censored version was posted to YouTube, however it is still clear as day what (and who) goes down in the video. Clips of destructive crowds are shown as well throughout. A fully uncensored version of the video, which was directed by Ava LaPrima, is available on the band’s website.
“If I Speak” was produced by Soul Glo’s guitarist GG Guerra, and mixed by longtime metal engineer Steve Evetts. For tickets to the band’s upcoming First Unitarian Church show, visit the XPN Concerts and Events page. The new single “If I Speak (Shut The F*ck Up)” is available now on all streaming platforms.