It has been 10 years since rapper Macklemore broke out of Seattle with the singles “Thrift Shop” and “Can’t Hold Us,” and today (July 22), the artist is back with a bang on his new song “Chant,” featuring Tones And I. The pair performed the song this morning on “Good Morning America” live from New York’s Central Park.
The uplifting “Chant” was produced by longtime Macklemore collaborator Budo (Joshua Karp) and was co-written with him in tandem with Seattle cohorts such as hip-hop artist Tyler Andrews and producer/arranger Andrew Joslyn.
In its accompanying Jake Magraw-directed black-and-white video, Macklemore salutes his Seattle roots with concert footage from Memorial Stadium, references to the hopeful return of the Seattle Supersonics (who moved to Oklahoma City to become the Thunder in 2008) and clips of beloved Seattle-reared pro basketball stars Isaiah Thomas and Jamal Crawford lighting it up on the court.
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Although details are scant, “Chant” is expected to appear on a new Macklemore album, which would be his first since 2017’s Gemini. The artist released a one-off single, “Next Year,” in 2021 but has only appeared on a handful of tracks in the past several years. Much of his recent energy has been devoted to his clothing line Bogey Boys, which has made a splash in the golf world since its 2021 debut. Macklemore is also a co-owner of the Seattle Sounders major league soccer team and the city’s new hockey franchise, the Seattle Kraken.
Macklemore will hit the road with Imagine Dragons on Aug. 5 in Salt Lake City as part of a tour that runs through Sept. 15 in Los Angeles.
