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MARLON SHARES SLEEK DEBUT SINGLE + VIDEO ‘BLOOD IN THE WATER’

Renowned for his ongoing work with some of Australia’s most revered hip hop royalty, Darwin-hailing singer-songwriter Marlon (a.k.a. Marlon Motlop) today unveils his debut solo single, the captivating Blood In The Water, also accompanied by a sleek music video as the talented artist looks ahead to the release of his debut album later this year.

Opening with a sultry bassline set against the sound of ocean waves, Blood In The Water surges with oscillating swagger, flitting between humid beats, driving pianos and jangly percussion, effortlessly helmed by Marlon’s polished vocals and sparkling hip hop production. Inspired by some of Marlon’s early musical influences, including Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder and Red Hot Chili Peppers, also forged alongside more modern elements of Miguel, The Weeknd and Frank Ocean, Blood In The Water also shines with thought-provoking lyricism, as Marlon explains, “Blood in the Water speaks to the age-old analogy of “out of sight, out of mind” making reference to the human habits of not acknowledging and speaking to things that do not affect us. As humans, many of us walk, play, live in multimillion dollar cities, and walk past homelessness, drug and alcohol abuse, and disadvantage. More often than not, it is the disadvantage of my people, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people that we remain to be silent on, in a system designed to break them.”

Penning his debut solo track in a small room in his childhood home, Blood In The Water also saw Marlon join forces with another Australian powerhouse to ultimately let this vulnerable yet passionate song take full flight. “After writing the song on my acoustic guitar in my childhood home in Darwin, I made the call to friend/brother and mentor Daniel Rankine aka Trials, to bring the track to life,” shares Marlon. “We spent one session recording instrumentation/vocals and T turned it into what we have today. He’s a superstar, and for me, he’s the most efficient producer I’ve created with, and allows my concepts/ideas to shine.”

Also armed with an accompanying music video, Blood In The Water’s sharp sonic aesthetic and lyrical content is mirrored via striking visuals. Directed by Richard Coburn (Hilltop Hoods, A.B. Original, Funkoars, Elsy Wameo), and produced by Coburn and Marlon, the video flits between moody coastal imagery, fiery hues and visceral red accents in perfect symmetry with the magnetic instrumentals and powerful emotion beating at the song’s very core. “I storyboarded the idea and pitched this to Richie Coburn who I met through shooting the The Gift video with Hilltop Hoods,” explains Marlon. “We did it over about three shoots and the fire scene was shot in the middle of winter during Adelaide’s wettest day in 25 years. We managed to incorporate some cool settings of the ocean, fire, and Adelaide City streets to align with the concept of Blood in the Water.”

“I really wanted there to be some abstract visuals in the clip to leave enough space for listener interpretation,” adds Marlon, “which was signified by the red cloak beings with no face throughout the clip. For me these represented empty/lost souls within our universe. Richie did a great job incorporating this into the final product.”

Hailing from the tropics of the Larrakia in Darwin, Northern Territory, Marlon’s transcendent pivot from a professional AFL career into revered singer-songwriter has seen him co-write songs with a horde of hip hop icons, also sharing stages with some of the greats in the process, passionately flying the flag for his musical influences as well as the story of his cultural history and identity. Whether teaming up with Urthboy, featuring on A.B. Original’s powerful 2023 single YES, 3%’s single Blak Australia Policy, Birdz & Frank Leone’s 2025 collaborative EP GIRA, or wowing on the emotive 2025 Hilltop Hoods single The Gift, Marlon’s rich vocals and socially-conscious lyricism has also seen him turn heads onstage at WOMADelaide, Bass in the Grass and Party In The Paddock, as well as previously supporting the likes of Xavier Rudd, Pete Murray and Hilltop Hoods.

“Touring with Hilltop Hoods for their national tour last month was unbelievable,” shares Marlon. “I’m forever grateful for the support from the entire Hoods family, the vibe, and atmosphere they set allowed me to just perform freely and do what I love. The crowds were insane, their fanbase is something special and the whole guest party was an awesome vibe, amazing talents and amazing people.”

Growing up in Darwin surrounded by guitars, Marlon’s musical journey began at a young age, singing and learning the guitar from his father alongside his siblings. “My dad was a student studying music in Darwin and would teach myself, my older and younger brother how to play every night,” explains Marlon. “It was tough, and a structured regime, but I’m so grateful for it because it showed the foundation of music and how to apply that to your everyday life through the principles of repetition and consistency. Around all of that, my family BBQs were singalongs, my whole family back home love music and from a traditional perspective, it’s been in our DNA for a very long time.”

“Now, I just love to write and perform,” Marlon continues. “There’s nothing like being on stage and risking it all to connect with a room, festival or arena full of strangers, it’s the best. And I’ve come to realise that for me, the music isn’t solely about me, or what I want. In some strange way songs that come to me (like Blood In The Water) feels like they’ve been handed down from somewhere, and the best part for me, is knowing how to get out of the way and letting the music shine.”

While his talents extend far beyond the creative realms, drafted at the age of 17 to the AFL and ticking off a successful career playing both at the AFL level and in state leagues, Marlon has powerfully returned to his early passion, swapping footy for the guitar; and the rest is quickly becoming history. With nods to his earlier musical icons, Marlon’s sonic creations also thrive with thought-provoking and melodically-moving lyricism, amplified further by his soulful vocals and ultimately challenging the status quo, capturing the story of his ancestral homelands and the challenges of Aboriginal Australia.

“It feels like a lot of hard work and deep listening has brought me to a place where I feel no pressure or anxiety, but just pure excitement to share my first solo work with the world,” Marlon concludes about the release today of his debut solo single. “Blood In The Water started in a tiny room back in my childhood home in Darwin years ago, and I’m excited to see how and if the world resonates with it.”

Blood In The Water is out today.

LISTEN: BLOOD IN THE WATER

WATCH: BLOOD IN THE WATER

PNAU COLLAB WITH MEXICAN ROCK BAND ‘THE WARNING’ FOR NEW SINGLE ‘TU CORAZÓN (YOUR HEART)’, ALONGSIDE 12-DATE REGIONAL AUS TOUR ANNOUNCE

Dance legends PNAU are known for collaborating with both emerging artists (Budjerah, Djanaba) and globally renowned artists (Elton John, Dua Lipa, Coldplay, Khalid), and today they unveil their latest surprise collab, teaming up with all-sister Mexican rock band The Warning for their joyful new single Tu Corazón (Your Heart). The release comes ahead of PNAU announcing a 12-date regional tour along the East Coast of Australia, as well as playing Mexico for the very first time.

Bringing world class production to regional Australia in June and July, PNAU will kick off their Nirvana tour run in Cairns before moving through Townsville, Airlie Beach, Rockhampton, Bundaberg, Toowoomba, Byron Bay, Coffs Harbour, Shoal Bay, Newcastle, and finishing up in Gosford.

Tickets go on sale from 9:00am AEST, Friday 17 April from www.pnau.tv.

Hyped to be taking the tour to regional pockets of Australia with a part 2 regional run set to follow, Nick Littlemore enthused, “Pnau is hitting the road this winter. We are hitting every outhouse, doghouse, hip house and acid house on our first ever regional lyfe tour this June. A true winter warmer. We look forward to seeing all you raving jellybeans out there.”

PNAU first came across The Warning while shooting a video for Empire of the Sun in Mexico over a decade ago, when The Warning were aspiring musicians hoping to make their way in the heavy rock scene as an all-sister band. Incredibly, the three sisters, Daniela, Paulina and Alejandra were only 14, 12 and nine when they uploaded a cover of Metallica’s Enter Sandman to YouTube, going viral with their rock attitude and skilful playing and vocals. The meeting of PNAU and The Warning led to a recording session in PNAU’s studio in downtown Los Angeles not long after. The song, Tu Corazón (Your Heart), has now risen to the surface. Tu Corazón is a song about opening your heart to the beauty around you, an important message for people everywhere in an ever-changing world.

The inversions of Tu Corazón (Your Heart) were brought to life visually, with PNAU returning to the old town of Monterrey to create a music video with the people of Mexico – celebrating the Latin culture and vibrance, passion and love the country is known for. Directed by Alberto ‘AJ’ Gomez, the music video involved a cast and crew of 40 locals, bringing the passion and energy of the song to life. Watch the official music video here.

Tu Corazón (Your Heart) follows on from PNAU’s recent collab with Grammy-nominated Italian trio MEDUZA, Rollin, Light Me Up with Kungs, and a run of high-profile remixes for global icons including Coldplay, Parcels, Tame Impala, Diana Ross and Sophie Ellis-Bextor. PNAU’s 2024 album Hyperbolic featured an A-list lineup of collaborators such as Khalid, Troye Sivan, Bebe Rexha, and Empire of the Sun. Born out of Sydney’s rave scene with homegrown classics such as Embrace, Chameleon, and Go Bang now part of Australian music lore, PNAU catapulted to global prominence in 2021 with Cold Heart alongside Elton John and Dua Lipa, a record that amassed billions of streams, multiple awards, and propelled the duo to stratospheric new heights.

Tu Corazón (Your Heart) is out now.

Tickets to the Nirvana regional tour are on sale from 9:00am AEST, Friday 17 April via www.pnau.tv.

STREAM TU CORAZÓN

WATCH TU CORAZÓN

JASON DERULO SET TO BRING ‘THE LAST DANCE WORLD TOUR’ TO AUSTRALIA IN SEPTEMBER 2026