Japanese quartet CHAI return this spring with their third full-length (and first for Sub Pop) titled WINK, what promises to be their most laid-back release yet, while still retaining the band's trademark joy and whimsy.
Today, they share the chilled-out single "チョコチップかもね/Maybe Chocolate Chips" featuring guest vocals from Chicago-based rapper Ric Wilson, who they met at the 2019 Pitchfork Music Festival. Bassist/lyricist YUUKI explains in a press release that the song was actually inspired by her moles. She states, “Things that we want to hold on to, things that we wished went away. A lot of things happen as we age and with that for me, is new moles! But I love them! My moles are like the chocolate chips on a cookie, the more you have, the happier you become! and before you know it, you’re an original ♡”
Listen via the collage-style video below, animated by Callum Scott-Dyson. The band declare, "This music video is the perfect visual for 'Maybe Chocolate Chips.' It was our first time working with Callum and the result (animation, etc.) was something we'd never tried before! Callum actually reached out to us for this but we loved how his work featured grotesque but cute components and tons of fantasy so our vision for this was in line. ♡⭐️^o^♡ Your mole is actually a Chocolate Chip! But you knew that already right?!♡⭐️♡”
WINK will be released May 21st via Sub Pop. And CHAI will be LIVE on KEXP at Home, which you can watch on our YouTube channel on Friday, May 7th. Subscribe now to be notified when it launches.
