Dry January was a success for Moonchild Sanelly, with her latest single “To Kill a Single Girl (Tequila)” off her new third studio album, Full Moon. 2024 was a year of hedonistic dance-pop hits that fully welcomed escapism, but this single cut out the noise and re-introduced the vulnerabilities of reality for 2025. Sanelly tells a refreshingly honest journey of self-confrontation and emancipation from destructive desires.
The message is clear from the start, chanting “No tequila” in tight harmonic layers, the tone slightly taunting by an abrasive vocoder effect. This lyrical repetition throughout could represent the voice of reason in her head that says “Enough is enough.” The verses contextualize this mantra with unfiltered thoughts of lustful obsession and companionship (or the blurring of the two), including comically blunt mentions of “heads” and “holes.” Furthermore, Sanelly just wants to live her life – a life full of feelings that tequila does not afford her. On this, she said:
Instead of dropping the truth, I’ll drop tequila. I don’t miss it because I don’t miss what it came with. (Apple Music)
Sanelly is not keen on “genre,” made evident through unique production choices that pull from hyper-pop, rap, pop, and electronic. Renowned producer of the track, Johan Hugo, understood her vision and executed it perfectly. In her own words, her style is “future ghetto funk.” The percussion is strong and bombastic, amping up the anthemic qualities. Echoed whooping and shouting adlibs convey some of the tequila-fueled chaos she speaks of. What begins as a boisterous celebration of a new, sober chapter soon reduces to a passive incantation after just the first listen – “No tequila… to kill my love, tequila…to kill my love tequila…”
Moonchild Sanelly regularly addresses themes of liberation and freedom of expression both lyrically and socially, collaborating with varied artists such as Gorillaz and Beyoncé. From her first album Rabulapha! (2015) until now, she has stayed persistent in her pursuit of artistic growth. She also incorporates her South African background in her style and music, furthering her agenda of authenticity.
Sanelly is set to tour the U.K. and Ireland this Spring with stunning performances, showcasing Full Moon to its fullest. Dates are below, with ticket information available on her website:
03/18/25 – YES (The Pink Room) – MANCHESTER, UK
03/20/25 – The Grand Social – DUBLIN, IRELAND
03/21/25 – The Wardrobe – LEEDS, UK
03/22/25 – King Tut’s – GLASGOW, UK
03/24/25 – Hare & Hounds – BIRMINGHAM, UK
03/25/25 – Strange Brew – BRISTOL, UK
03/26/25 – Village Underground – LONDON, UK
06/01/25 – Might Hoopla (Queertopia Stage) – LONDON, UK
07/24-27/25 – Truck Festival – OXFORDSHIRE, UK
07/25/25 – Deer Shed – TOPCLIFFE, UK
07/31/25 – 08/03/25 – Kendal Calling – CUMBRIA, UK
08/28/25 – 08/31/25 – End of the Road Festival – SALISBURY, UK
To support the rise of Moonchild Sanelly and experience “To Kill A Single Girl (Tequila)” as part of a project, stream Full Moon on Spotify and Apple Music.
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