Misfits Together reminds us that when things look perfect for some, they’re far from perfect for all, on “Oh America (1951).”
Misfits Together—a group formed by Bastille frontman Dan Smith and To Kill a King frontman Ralph Pelleymounter—has released “Oh America (1951).” It is the first single for their upcoming album Misfits Together, a March 2027 release about Marilyn Monroe and Arthur Miller. “Oh America (1951)” is about the landscape of America in the early 1950s. An accompanying musical will also play at the Curve Theatre in Leicester, UK, premiering in September 2027.
It starts by saying the good things on the surface: the baby boom, young Hollywood, new technology, economic prosperity, and the idealistic images of that era. As the song goes on, they sing progressively more about the darker parts of the era: McCarthyism, racism, the Cold War, and other things that made America less of a “land of the free.” Throughout all of it, one refrain is repeated: “life is easy.”
Arthur Miller is brought up for winning a prize (likely his 1949 Pulitzer). Later, Marilyn Monroe is brought up at the very end: “Our young starlet plays to win / Life ain’t easy.”
I am very excited for this project. I absolutely love Bastille, and Marilyn Monroe is my favorite actress. I’m also a big fan of Arthur Miller’s work. “Oh America (1951)” is a great song and a compelling first impression of this album.
I do always get nervous when there’s a new piece of media about Marilyn Monroe. So many of them ignore how cool she was and act like her mental health issues are the only important thing about her. However, while I know little about Ralph Pelleymounter, I know that Dan Smith is a great songwriter. Bastille has told women’s stories very well before, like Eve on “Eve & Paradise Lost” or Bathsheba in “Bathsheba & Him.” If I’m trusting any man to make music about Marilyn Monroe, it’s Dan Smith.
You can listen to “Oh America (1951)” below.
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