Miguel performed a showcase of tracks from his new album ‘VISCERA’ this weekend, during which he performed one song suspended from hooks that were in his bare skin.
The R&B singer hosted the invite-only ‘The Viscera Experience’ at Sony Pictures Studios in Los Angeles on Friday (August 25), which was also available to watch on a livestream.
Before performing one new song, the singer was joined by two assistants who pierced metal hooks through his back and attach him to wires before he was suspended from the ceiling (via Complex).
In the new song, the track included the apt lyrics: “I’m hanging onto nothing / I’m hanging from the ceiling.”
Last night in Los Angeles, Miguel previewed new music while suspended in the air with hooks in his back pic.twitter.com/NJ9gvUcLC1
— Complex Music (@ComplexMusic) August 26, 2023
Miguel just previewed his new album 🥺 pic.twitter.com/5pSQmex69N
— ❄️🗝️ (@DiaryOfKeysus) August 26, 2023
Yes he’s hanging from his bare skin 😩 pic.twitter.com/grG3MfW6SG
— ❄️🗝️ (@DiaryOfKeysus) August 26, 2023
After finishing the song, he was lowered back down to the ground and the hooks were removed.
Speaking about the forthcoming new album – the follow-up to 2017’s ‘War & Leisure‘ – in a recent Instagram post, Miguel wrote: “Warming up thinking about life. Feel like all the work I’ve done in the last five years been leading up to this Friday and Saturday . I want you there if you can be.”
In another post on Twitter ahead of ‘The Viscera Experience’, he wrote: “What is your relationship to change ? I’ll be exploring the violent and beautiful nature of change LIVE tonight with never before seen or heard performance art.”
Reviewing ‘War & Leisure’ upon its release, NME said the “R&B saucepot lets it all hang out with his vibetastic fourth album”.
It added: “True, ‘War & Leisure’ lacks the obvious identity that has marked out Miguel’s previous three albums, but that’s no fault. By comparison, this is a compelling collection of poptastic R&B tracks made to soundtrack your night out. Kick back and listen up, because Miguel insists you have a great time in 2018.”
Back in March, Miguel spoke to NME about scoring his first-ever UK Top 10 with his 2011 single ‘Sure Thing’, following the track’s recent resurgence on TikTok.
“‘Sure Thing’ had been one of the songs that I always felt had something special,” he told NME.
“I was a struggling artist here in LA, not making any money but trying to get on however I could. Writing was one of the things allowing me to get into rooms and to start writing for artists but I had no real placements at the time.”
The artist’s latest release was ‘Number 9’ featuring Lil Yachty, which followed ‘Give It To Me’. This month he also featured on Jessie Reyez‘s track ‘Jeans’.
