Iggy Pop has kept things simple for “We Are the People,” the single taken from his 2019 solo album, Free. In the accompanying video, the punk icon stares at the camera while reciting the lyrics to the song, which were written by Lou Reed.
“That totally resonated with me,” Pop told BBC of the poem. “Like, ‘wham,’ like ‘pow.’ It was the first poem in a book of lyrics and when I saw it, I thought, ‘My God, this is the country today as I understand it, or at least one legitimate portrayal of the country today.’ It really spoke to me.”
Another connection to Reed: the music video was released on what would have been Lou’s seventy-eighth birthday (March 2, 2020).
Pop is scheduled to reveal an extremely limited vinyl edition of Free this Saturday, March 7 at Perrotin in New York City. He’ll be on hand to sign the 340 numbered copies, each with a bonus 7-inch single with two previously unreleased tracks exclusive to the vinyl album: Iggy’s a cappella rendition of “Brahms Lullaby” and “Epistle to Tromba,” a heartfelt ode to a late canine companion. Each of these numbered editions will be enclosed in a resealable Japanese polybag.
Watch the “We Are the People” video below.
