Today, Michi releases “Playing Pretend,” a track from her upcoming debut album, Dirty Talk. Alongside the single, Michi announces her first Los Angeles headline show, set for April 10 at The Moroccan Lounge.

 

 

Michi calls “Playing Pretend” her “baddie track.” She directed and shot the beach-set video herself. Speaking on the experience she shared, “I didn’t realize how empowering it could feel to throw ass on my favorite beach in the morning light while someone jogging watches, I might need a new laptop but wouldn’t take the experience back ever. As artists we forget just how much we ourselves can create when simply tapping into authenticity and ignoring the doubts, a DIY process has always felt so special and intimate to me.”

On Dirty Talk, produced by Blake Rhein (of Durand Jones & the Indications) and Paul Cherry, Michi melds retro and fresh sounds while grappling with forces that interfere with us truly giving and receiving love. “But Dirty Talk isn’t just about dishing out,” she says. “It’s about revealing the dirt on my hands of misunderstanding life’s gifts – the opportunity to transform, grow and release. I want this album to accompany whoever hears it in liberation of the self, in healing.”

The single follows three earlier tracks from Dirty Talk, each showcasing Michi’s love for ’80s and ’90s R&B and Motown reimagined with her own modern touch: “If You Want Me,” simmering with tension and desire; “There’s No Heaven,” pulsing with house-driven energy; and “Snoobie,” a slow-burning groove wrapped in warmth. All three were remixed by Grammy-award-winning artist Knxwledge this past November.

Dirty Talk
Stones Throw
Feb 28th, 2025

1. Intro
2. Walking Away
3. OMW
4. If You Want Me
5. Snoobie
6. There’s No Heaven
7. Memmy (Recuerdo) (feat. Gabriel da Rosa)
8. Playing Pretend
9. So Divine
10. Way I Do (feat. Kiefer)