merci, mercy discusses mental health in the potent pop of striking debut “FMU”

She may only be 19-years-old, but merci, mercy is poised to make waves in her homeland Down Under. Growing up in disparate lands, the young artist lived in Beijing and Thailand before relocating back to Sydney, where she still calls home. Making music for fun, her 2018 online outing “Be” found itself heard by the right ears and resulted in a management deal that helped merci nurture her sound.

Now gearing up to release her first single proper, “Fucked Myself Up” is a striking introduction to what merci is about as an artist and clearly documents the worldliness and wisdom that belies her years, albeit in a potent pop package. Punchy beats and percussion underpin the track whilst synths and guitars create an irresistible rhythm. Offset by merci’s clear and understated vocal, the track disarming yet confident as the songwriter sheds light and takes ownership of her darker times.

“’Fucked Myself Up’ is about dependence on alcohol, it gave me the confidence to be able to talk to people,” shares merci of her debut. “I was getting fucked up on purpose in order to allow myself to be around people I didn't know.

“My goal is to make music that talks openly about mental health, so it's as normal as talking about what you're eating for dinner,” she continues. “’Fucked Myself Up’ is me saying yes, I have a problem but I'm doing my best, so leave me alone."

Despite the serious undertones, the sounds of the track poses a brighter slant to the situation, one that is reinforced by the colourful visuals of the accompanying lyric video by Bianca Bosso. "It's been an awesome experience to see Bianca’s amazing, colourful vision bring my song to life, I love everything about it!”

“When we heard the song we knew the video had to be colourful and full of attitude,” shares Bosso - who has provided illustrations and GIFs for the likes of Charli XCX and Normani - of her creation. “It's a song that holds nothing back lyrically so we wanted to give it the same treatment visually - blood, cigarettes, sparkles, smirks and more.”