New Music Friday: Mawness Releases Queer Pop Hit, Carbon Monoxide

Breakthrough pop artist, Mawness, has released her debut single, Carbon Monoxide, and it's become an instant hit. The haunting but hook-filled song is the first to be released on the upcoming EP by the queer singer-songwriter, who is French-born but Brighton-based.

Mawness wrote the song after losing neighbours in a tragic fire in her Parisian apartment block, with the lyrics touching on loss and grief. It also touches on toxicity within relationships, as she explained in a recent interview on BBC Radio: "When you're caught in a fire, but you don't know how to escape it."

The song has already found fame in France, where it's been featured in L'Oréal Kérastase's 2022 Chroma Absolu campaign with Emily Ratajkowski. Plus, Carbon Monoxide is picking up attention in the UK, being featured on BBC introducing and DIVA’s hottest releases list.

The video for Carbon Monoxide was released alongside the single. It was shot in rural Wales, with a beautiful mountainous backdrop, and features captivating visuals. The video was filmed and produced by Camp Productions, who have also worked with Little Mix and Drag Race UK star Bimini.

Yassa Khan, the queer Pakistani-Welsh director who worked on the video, has since released the climate-change film OVERHEATED, featuring Billie Eilish, Finneas, Girl in Red and Vivienne Westwood.

"While queer in its sound, and its dark, strong, and sensual visuals, it only gets queerer from here," says Mawness. "Everything I write is underpinned by my identity as a queer person. But if Carbon Monoxide is a nod to that identity, I'd say most of my other material is more of a scream and shout to that identity."