The new single from Let’s Eat Grandma, the U.K. duo made up of Rosa Walton and Jenny Hollingworth, begins with a sequence of mmm’s and explosive synths. And, as the title suggests, “Happy New Year” is a really happy track, with actual firecrackers arriving at three-and-a-half minutes and lines about the delight of starting over while keeping nostalgia in your back pocket.
“Happy New Year” is inspired by Walton and Hollingworth’s lifetime friendship, which dates back to the kindergarten class. The nostalgia is strong — summer days spent in gardens, snow igloos, and bubble baths in swimsuits — but the synths keep the mood light, even when the two discuss a recent rupture in their friendship.
The joyful chants of “Hallelujah!” and “Happy New Year!” from Walton, who conveys these sentiments in a hot pink Von Dutch suit during a tennis match in the video, demonstrate this growth. Hollingworth is on the other side of the net, despite a bleeding nose, playing her opponent. After the match, they embrace, a charming metaphor of their relationship that they’ll undoubtedly explore further on their future album, “Two Ribbons.”
