The member of the London trio Girl Ray were teenagers when they came out with their 2017 debut Earl Grey, a sparkling revival of twee-pop aesthetics. On their 2019 sophomore album Girl, Girl Ray expanded their sound, taking in influence from R&B and disco. Now, Girl Ray are ready to make another leap. They’ve just announced the forthcoming LP Prestige, which is set to arrive in August.

Girl Ray leader Poppy Hankin co-produced Prestige with Ben H. Allen, producer of records like Animal Collective’s Merriweather Post Pavilion. The new record is apparently influenced by disco, queer culture, and the TV show Pose. The band shared the surprisingly funky single “Everybody’s Saying That” earlier this year, and the record also features the 2021 single “Give Me Your Love.” Today, Girl Ray drop the bubbly, percussive new track “Hold Tight.” It’s a joyous, shimmering love song that practically explodes with good vibes. Here’s what Hankin says about it:

Lyrically, this song is about how appreciative I am to have found my partner and how my mental load feels so much lighter and easier to bear now that I’m with her. The production on this takes some inspiration from Haim’s incredible record Women In Music Pt. III and features a subby drum loop inspired by Atlanta’s hip hop scene.

Regular Girl Ray collaborator Alex Cantouris directed the “Hold Tight” video, which is a lot of fun. In the clip, Girl Ray interrupt a middle-aged couple’ picnic to dance around in cowgirl outfits. Check out the video and the Prestige tracklist below.

TRACKLIST:
01 “Intro”
02 “True Love”
03 “Up”
04 “Everybody’s Saying That”
05 “Love Is Enough”
06 “Hold Tight”
07 “Begging You Now”
08 “Easy”
09 “Tell Me”
10 “Wanna Dance”
11 “Space Song”
12 “Give Me Your Love”

Prestige is out 8/4 on Moshi Moshi.