FLETCHER has announced her sophomore full-length ‘In Search Of The Antidote’, and released its lead single, ‘Lead Me On’.
Released late last week, the New Jersey singer’s lovelorn track marks a departure from the delicate, dreamy soundscapes of her 2022 debut album ‘Girl Of My Dreams’, in favour of driving pop-rock. ‘Lead Me On’ finds FLETCHER reflecting on an unrequited love, with its verses detailing the differences between her and a lover (“I was made to find you / But your heart is constantly running / Just never toward me“), before culminating in a cathartic hook: “So why don’t you just lead me on / Cause something is better than nothing at all“.
The track was accompanied by a video directed by Alexandre Moors, which depicts the singer wandering the rooms of a large house occupied by bohemians. Watch the video for ‘Lead Me On’ below:
‘Lead Me On’ serves as the lead single from FLETCHER’s upcoming sophomore full-length album, ‘In Search Of The Antidote’, which will be released via Capitol/EMI Records on March 22 – pre-order your copy here.
Jennifer Decilveo, who has penned tracks for acts including Take That, Miley Cyrus and Hozier, produced the record with songwriting contributions from Jon Bellion, Julia Michaels, Michael Pollack and more.
In a press release, the singer stated that the record will offer fans an introspective look into themes of “identity, insecurity, ego and self-fulfilment”, concluding that “love is the antidote”. “Over the years, I’ve looked for the antidote in so many things: women, the road, the stage, fans, spirituality and self-reflection,” she wrote. “Making this album was an excavation, a deep dive where I asked myself what would truly heal me, and my ultimate realization was that love is the antidote.”
‘In Search Of The Antidote’ also marks the singer’s first full-length since being diagnosed with Lyme Disease, which she revealed over X in September 2023, and resulted in the postponement of her live dates in Europe, the UK, Australia and New Zealand to this year.
“You all know how much I love performing and seeing you on the road and I’m truly heartbroken to let you down,” she wrote in a statement on Instagram in light of the postponements. “I want to show up for you all 100% and give you the best show that I know that I have in me and one that you deserve.”
In June 2023, FLETCHER sat down with NME to speak about her affirmation practices, which served as the basis for her ‘Girl Of My Dreams’ crowd favourite, ‘I Love You, Bitch’. “I’ve always struggled with pretty intense performance anxiety,” she admitted. “And before I go on stage I will make eye contact with myself and I will say, ‘You are that bitch. You are that bitch. You are that bitch. You can do anything, you can be anything, and I just say, ‘I love you’.”