Music duo Louis York (Claude Kelly and Chuck Harmony) has joined forces with PJ Morton for their new single “Puppet Strings.”
In the retro-soul tune, Kelly sings about a love so entwined that he feels like a marionette handled by his partner. In essence, the song speaks to how we can’t help who captures our hearts.
“It’s a two tug of war / It’s pulling me back and forth / But I can’t break away / I make the same mistakes / ‘Cause my heart is weak / And I just can’t break free of your puppet strings,” Kelly croons.
Morton appears in the second verse, echoing the same sentiment, “I don’t like the way that she gets in my head / I don’t like the magic she uses on me / And after all the dirty things you said / Somehow I can’t get you out of my dreams.”
“Puppet Strings” is the fourth track shared from Louis York’s collaborative album, Songs With Friends. They previously shared “Three Little Words” with Tamia, “Alone A Lot” with Anthony Hamilton and “Heaven Bound” with Jessie J.
“When we dreamed up the Songs With Friends concept, PJ was one of the first artists on our wishlist. We’ve all known each other for a long time but never found the time to actually do some great music together,” Louis York tells Rated R&B.
“Most of our album was recorded in Nashville, but we actually drove to New Orleans to meet up with PJ in his hometown because it’s one of our favorite cities and we wanted to soak up the culture while we recorded. What you get is ‘Puppet Strings.’ It’s an ode to Stevie [Wonder], Toto, Lionel Richie, and Hall & Oates — the greats. It’s soulful, it’s fun, and it’s a musical journey by three of the boldest musicians in today’s music.”
Songs With Friends will follow Louis York’s debut album, American Griots, released in 2019. The genre-bending album featured country singer Jimmie Allen and soul trio The Shindellas, among others.
As for Morton, the Grammy winner released his Afrobeats-inspired single, “Please Be Good,” in February. He recorded the song, as well as his upcoming album, during his 30-day trip to Africa, where he collaborated with local musicians in South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, and Egypt.
“I was in Lagos, Nigeria and one of my favorite new producers P. Priime played this beat. I immediately took out my phone and started to record ideas. I love that it’s a mixture of so many vibes,” Morton said of “Please Be Good.”
On Nov. 12, he will release his memoir, Saturday Night, Sunday Morning, via Worthy Publishing.
Stream Louis York’s new song “Puppet Strings” featuring PJ Morton below.
