The new song appears on her forthcoming sophomore album
Today (Thurs, Jan 25th) marks the premiere of “Lead Me On” — the gut-punching single and video from acclaimed singer-songwriter Fletcher. Featured as the cover of New Music Daily on Apple Music, “Lead Me On” leads Fletcher’s sophomore album In Search Of The Antidote, to be released March 22nd via Capitol Records.
In bringing “Lead Me On” to life, the pop star collaborated with hitmakers like Aldae, Jon Bellion, Monsters & Strangerz and Michael Pollack who are known for their diamond-certified singles with artists like Justin Bieber and Miley Cyrus, whom Fletcher performed alongside in an internet-breaking performance in 2023. “Lead Me On” fully embodies the layered emotionality of beauty and brutality that Fletcher brings to every track on In Search Of The Antidote, an album born from her mission of “meeting the listener where they are.”
“For some people ‘Lead Me On’ might sound like a breakup song, where I’m telling someone that I’ll take whatever crumbs I can get from them,” says Fletcher. “Or it might sound like a song where I’m speaking to a better, healthier version of me that exists in the future. It’s a version that’s a higher self in some way, and I’m connecting with her through these little moments of clarity or intuition and asking her to keep guiding me down that path. All the songs on this album were written on multiple levels, and they exist in many dimensions at one time.”
Fletcher’s songwriting is imbued with the kind of unfettered directness that cuts straight to the heart (from the first verse: “I was born to love you/You were born wild and free/I was made to find you/But your heart is constantly running/Just never toward me”). After opening on a stripped-back arrangement of stark guitar and aching vocal work, the track takes on an unstoppable energy that makes its raw emotion all the more thrilling. With its whirlwind backdrop of pounding drums, frenetic textures, and fantastically warped vocals, “Lead Me On” ultimately finds Fletcher channeling tender longing and bold determination with equally potent intensity.
Directed by Alexandre Moors (Kendrick Lamar, Beyonce), the video for “Lead Me On” was filmed at an apartment in Paris and emerged in part from Fletcher’s spirituality, and fascination with shibari (a form of erotic bondage that originated in Japan). “The video shows a woman suspended from the ceiling in rope, which to me felt like a depiction of love being gorgeous and painful at the same time,” she says. “There are so many intricacies and tiny little details when you zoom in — but then when you zoom out, it’s this beautiful piece of art that somehow seamlessly flows together.”
In Search Of The Antidote features Fletcher’s recent track “Eras Of Us” — an exhilarating anthem built on bittersweet reminiscence and brutally raw confession.
A powerhouse album cementing Fletcher’s status as one of the most compelling young artists in the pop world today, Girl Of My Dreams arrived in September 2022 and delivered hits like “Becky’s So Hot” (a much-buzzed-about track that reached No. 3 on the iTunes chart across all genres and landed on Billboard’s Hot Rock and Alternative Songs chart). Since her debut, Fletcher has sold nearly 200,000 tickets worldwide with her headline tours across North America, Australia and Europe. This spring, she’ll perform at Lollapalooza South America in Brazil, Chile, and Argentina in March ahead of her much-anticipated runs in Europe, UK and Australia.
