Michael Turner’s New Single “Look At Us Now” is a Musical Homecoming

On June 3rd, Michael Turner made his return to songwriting with the single “Look At Us Now (ft. Bryce Detroit & Smoktagous77),” a reflective ballad years in the making about the world he once knew, and the opportunity he hopes to bring back.

 

In 2013, after spending his college year away, Michael Turner returned to the Detroit he grew up in, but what he saw was not the city he left behind. Long-time family homes had been cynically stolen away, derelict city projects left to waste by apathetic leaders. Formerly tight knit communities had been isolated by the social and economic changes in the years that passed while Michael was away.

 

 

Buried deep within these now fragmented communities, however, stilled lived a people steeped in hope. Like the Pheonix that has so long symbolized Detroit, Michael saw an ember. A small light that would build in him, and his home, and return this city to the lively community it once was. Michael also realized this wasn’t just a Detroit feeling, our world had been promised to us, but that promise was taken away.

 

 

“Look At Us Now” (and its accompanying visual, created by ACRONYM ZINE Contributor Dante Vozza) is that ember in song. Michael Turner’s vocals evolve, from a somber and introspective tone describing his mournful reflection on the times change, shifting, no longer does he look in at what’s lost, but flares out at the systems and greed that took it.

 

Michael’s accusations and pleas are accentuated by the strong and steady drumming of Smoktagous77. The song, now at a roaring fervor, is then capped off by a verse from the quintessential Detroit poet, artist, and community organizer, Bryce Detroit.

 

 

The song is available on streaming platforms, watch the video here:

 

 

Or click the link below to listen on streaming services here.