Mark Ronson dabbles in melancholy disco on new single, 'Late Night Feelings'

Temporalities fold in Mark Ronson‘s latest release, “Late Night Feelings,” a production that wields the novelty of a new single, while simultaneously effecting an old-school feel. The second song off of Ronson’s next long-form project, Ronson’s self-professed collection of “sad bangers,” Late Night Feelings, the eponymous offering enlists Lykke Li. Tonally, “Late Night Feelings” is an undeniably groovy number that harnesses vintage, ’70s disco funk. Lyrically, the single tells a different story. The tune’s vocal raconteur, Li pines for a love lost as she laments her smoldering desire to pick up the phone to dial the digits of her former flame.

It’s easy to forget that “Late Night Feelings” is a melancholy track at heart: the retro flair creates a spirited sort of wistfulness that, paradoxically, feels good. The old school spunk, however, is a momentary distraction. Ronson puts the “sad” in “sad banger” at song’s end, when he foregrounds Li’s mellifluous vocal, to spotlight the inescapable blue nature of the track’s lyrics.

Ronson’s first solo album since 2015’s Uptown Special, Late Night Feelings is slated to arrive in full on June 21.

Photo credit: WSJ Magazine