Tituss Burgess releases leading single ‘45’ in a scathing musical retort against Trump

Tituss Burgess, most known for his role on Tina Fey’s Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, has released his first single today off his upcoming EP Saint Tituss. The song, ’45,’ is a stinging burn against Donald Trump.

An unsettling downward piano run in the beginning is soon cut by a funky guitar line and Burgess’s stunning vocals.“So wake from your slumber / 45 will put us under," he sings while wearing a straight jacket. "Can’t you hear the distant thunder?”

The video features four people, who presumably support the 45^th president, dancing like marionettes. When they close their eyes, they reveal another set of blue eyeballs painted onto their lids.

“He’s dumb as bricks / A magic show with no tricks,” sings the Emmy-nominated actor whose impressive falsetto features heavily in the track.

Behind his vocals, collaborator Daniel J. Watts can be heard saying, “Somebody needs to take those bricks and magically build a wall around him.”

Up until now, Burgess has focused mostly on acting. He was nominated four years in a row for an Emmy for Best Comedy Supporting Actor for his musical role on Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, but was notably snubbed from a nomination when the list for this year’s nominees was released this week.

In an interview with Billboard, Burgess revealed his political motivations for creating ’45.’ "This man in power has put much of the US under a sleeping spell that is slowly transforming into apathy from the rest of us,” he warned. “This song is a call to wake up and realise that this state we’re in can be changed and must be changed.”

‘45’ is the leading single off his upcoming EP Saint Tituss, set to be released on 26 July. It can be pre-ordered here.

Watch the music video here: