The New Citizen Kane explores euphoria and emptiness on new single 'Ratbag Joy'

The New Citizen Kane’s latest single 'Ratbag Joy' is one of those releases that dares you to feel while you’re dancing. A vivid clash of radiant sound and lyrical weight, this is dance music that cuts deeper than it seems, turning club euphoria into a mirror for something much darker.

At surface level, the track is a gleaming, kinetic triumph of bouncing synths, rubbery bass, and a euphoric pulse that could easily soundtrack a packed festival tent at sundown. But beneath the sheen lies something far more complex. The track paints a portrait of someone sprinting toward distraction, dodging ghosts in pursuit of the next dopamine hit. It’s the kind of songwriting that pairs spiritual decay with glitter-drenched surfaces. Think LCD Soundsystem if James Murphy swapped cynicism for emotional surrender.

Kane’s brilliance lies in the friction. The joy is almost aggressively cheerful, clashing against verses that unravel in quiet desperation. And the more the beat lifts you up, the clearer it becomes that it’s all a mask, a neon-painted panic response. It’s rare to find a track that can make your feet move while dragging your heart into the back alley of introspection.

'Ratbag Joy' is the second dispatch from Kane’s upcoming album 'Psychedelika', a multi-sensory project that seems set on bending the limits of what the indie-dance space can hold. If the first two tracks are any indication, this will be a psychological detour wrapped in bangers.

For fans of Robyn, Jamie xx, Empire of the Sun, self-aware hedonism, and dancing through your existential dread.