After announcing that he will be making an album inspired by his BBC 1 TV show Luther earlier this year, actor and musician Idris Elba returns with the release of the title track “Murdah Loves John” featuring Wretch 32 and Tanika. The track premiered on BBC Radio 1 when Idris dropped by to be interviewed by Annie Mac, who called the track “widescreen”. Threading together shadow-boxin’ lyrics from UK rapper Wretch 32, smooth vocal runs from Tanika, and a modern pop melange of echoey tones and sophisticated strings, the track is a tribute to the detective and his wild life. Speaking on the track, Idris Elba said; “she’s (Tanika’s) got such a beautiful presence and lovely vocals, and Wretch was a no-brainer, I’ve been seeing him for years, saying he’s the best!”
This won’t be the first time Elba has been inspired by an acting role he has taken on. Last year, Elba released Mi Mandela, an album that owed much to his time in South Africa shooting the film Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom in which he portrayed Nelson Mandela. Elba also shared how we wants to release an album inspired by his The Wire character Stringer Bell in a recent interview.
‘Murdah Loves John’ appears on a new album based around the character John Luther and the vibe of London. In the interview, Elba explained how the album came about: “With “Murdah Loves John” I really wanted people to feel like if they put this album on and turned down the soundtrack, they could still watch the show and still get the vibe of London, get the vibe of my character, and the characters involved”. The song’s release [15th December] coincides with the return of Luther next month.