Mastercard becomes latest corporate entity to release original music, stream 'Merry Go Round'

Gone are the days of guys Skrillex and deadmau5 producing our hits—its time corporations jump into the fold. Music producers that most likely won’t register on your radar, and shouldn’t, are Kentucky Fried Chicken, Build-a-Bear, and Mastercard…but that may soon change. Because less than two weeks into the new decade, 2020 is already looking like a Black Mirror episode as Mastercard, yes, the financial institution, releases an original song titled “Merry Go Round.”

This is not the first time big business has attempted to penetrate the music industry with a marketing gimmick disguised as music. Who could forget Colonel Sanders’ dystopian Ultra Music Festival mainstage performance last year? Or the launch of W Hotels’ official record label?

Mastercard’s plans seem to go a bit deeper than a single or a performance, though, as “Merry Go Round” is actually the lead release from a full-length album due sometime in 2020. According to Mastercard, the single “tells the story of a new beginning and fresh start enabled with Priceless possibility.” After all, it wouldn’t be a corporate music release without a corny self-promoting tagline. The company claims that this release represents an evolution in communication, and “sound is our next frontier for brand expression.” Stream Mastercard’s lead single (what a time to be alive…) below.