Acantha Lang, a dark horse in contemporary soul, delivers a poignant tribute to Black motherhood in her latest single ‘Lois Lang’. Compared to Lang’s roaring debut ‘He Said/She Said’, ‘Lois Lang’ is a softer and introspective affair – though anchored by the same live band feel, with a vintage horn arrangement.

Speaking about the inspiration behind the song, Lang explains: “My momma’s name ‘Lois Lang’ always reminded me of the name of Superman’s love interest ‘Lois Lane’. It struck me one day that my momma never had a Superman in her life – my father left when I was a little girl – hence the opening line: ‘Her name is Lois Lang, but she ain’t have no Superman.’ My momma stayed strong and raised me and my three siblings without any help and I felt compelled to write this song as a tribute to her.”

Lang’s narrative weaves in details of the various hardships faced by her mother, from segregation (‘Mr Crow was in the air‘), to the hurricanes which devastated New Orleans (‘Betsy and Katrina / You can hear them scream loud‘). The song is ultimately an ode to her resilience. ‘She’s a Creole queen / Born down in New Orleans,’ Lang sings with an air of pride in her voice.

Whereas her vocal on ‘He Said/She Said’ is full of razor-sharp attack, Lang proves here that can she can mellow her delivery. Her soulful voice hovers just above the horns, her phrases often dissipating into a whisper. A poignant, touching release.