“I Want People to Dance”: NoMBe’s Disco Era Blends Swagger with Groove, Empowerment, & Black Heritage Ahead of ‘DIÁSPORA’

NoMBe opens up about the rebirth, liberation, and creative breakthrough of “Nu Lova,” a seductive, groovy anthem that marks a dazzling foray into disco and sets the tone for his bold, boundless new era on his third album, ‘Diáspora.’

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Stream: “Nu Lova” – NoMBe

There’s a heat to NoMBe’s “Nu Lova” that lingers long after the song’s final echoes fade – a thick, intoxicating warmth that pulses through the body and lifts the soul.

It’s the kind of feeling you get on a sweaty night under mirrorball light, when heartache gives way to possibility and a stranger’s smile feels like salvation. Released last fall as the lead single off Diáspora – NoMBe’s forthcoming third album and a love letter to the Black musical tradition – “Nu Lova” is an exhale, a celebration, a reckoning, and a rebirth.

It also marks a bold new direction. “Nu Lova” is NoMBe’s first foray into disco, and he wears the genre well: Sultry guitars shimmer over a pulsing beat as he basks in the high of rebound romance. There’s catharsis in the groove, release in the rhythm. The whole track glows like a summer sunset.

Two lips and daffodils
By my window sill
And I love the smell I want
Nu love, new hugs, no shrubs
I pull out the weeds
And the breeze take’em off
To somewhere far
Where they won’t cause harm
And my heart stays warm
Like my lawn in the sun
This rebound shit is legit and a trip
Baby time will tell if it gels or we quit

“Nu Lova” is about coming out of a relationship with the mindset of not letting it derail you,” NoMBe (née Noah McBeth) tells Atwood Magazine. “Saying, I’m not going to sit around crying, I’m gonna get ready, go out, and meet someone new. It gives a slightly positive and cheeky spin on breakups, where you almost feel a weight being lifted.”

That energy is felt from the very first verse: “Two lips and daffodils by my windowsill… New love, new hugs, no shrubs / I pull out the weeds and the breeze take ’em off,” NoMBe croons in the first verse, trading out the old and overgrown for something fresh and unburdened.

“My relationship at the time of writing had withered for quite some time, I think. Hence all the flower and spring analogies,” he adds.

At its heart, “Nu Lova” is a rebound anthem, but one dressed up in glitter and glow – cheeky, soulful, and self-aware.

NoMBe doesn’t shy away from the transience or messiness of post-breakup love; instead, he leans into it, embracing the high that comes with falling fast and the comfort of someone new. The story he tells is one of release – letting go of what was and giving in to the now, however fleeting that might be.

Seasons they change best believe
Like lovers
Like days of the week (baby)

Oooooh
Friday night you said goodbye
But then I went
Straight into Saturday and fell in love again
So let me introduce you to my
New, new, my new, new, new lover
Let me introduce you to my
New new, brand new, boo and lover

His chorus, sung in stunning falsetto, is a particularly radiant touch – soaring as he sings, “New, new, my new, new, new lover / Let me introduce you to my new new, brand new, boo and lover.” There’s a glow in his voice – light, unburdened, effervescent – that captures the buoyancy of those early, electric feelings. The repetition feels like both a celebration and a spell, a way to manifest the next chapter into existence. “Friday night you said goodbye / But then I went straight into Saturday and fell in love again,” he sings, cheeky and self-aware. The heart moves on, whether we’re ready or not.

“The irony of ‘Nu Lova’ is that the ‘new’ person I fell for quickly became a pretty chaotic situationship,” NoMBe confesses. “When that fell apart, somehow the track evolved into being about my now-wife. It’s strange how songs can keep evolving in that way.”

He still remembers the moment the music clicked into place. “Sonically, it started in Hawai’i, where I was living at the time and I was practicing bass,” he recalls. “I somehow had the idea for that progression and it all effortlessly came together. I remember feeling nervous and giggity because I found ‘that thing.’ It only happens so often.”

The song also marked a creative breakthrough for him. “I picked this song since it was the first complete demo that felt like, ‘this is the direction for me.’ It felt so right and like I needed to make more of it, whatever it was. It summed up my vision perfectly.” That vision threads into Diáspora as a whole – a sprawling, celebratory exploration of identity, legacy, and personal growth.

NoMBe has always been a sonic shapeshifter, but Diáspora feels like his most intentional and expansive work to date.

Where past projects blurred genre lines – mixing indie rock, funk, soul, and alternative R&B into a singular, seductive style – here he redraws them entirely, embracing disco not as a retro throwback, but as a vessel for storytelling, movement, and joy. “Nu Lova” is just the beginning: A vibrant, groove-laden entry point into a body of work that honors the past while pushing boldly ahead.

“Aside from the nods to the 1970’s and Black music found throughout Diáspora, I think it’s about trust,” NoMBe reflects. “Trusting that what I instinctively felt good, would also resonate with people despite what the expectations were. The entire record is the result of this letting go… I moved to Hawai’i because I needed to quiet everything around me, to hear what I actually wanted to express. To me that’s what art is… it’s deeply personal expression. It’s not about manufacturing success based on what someone has liked in the past. It’s scary, but the only way I want to create.”

Now, we’ve been on and off
and I’m bout to move on
This too shall pass, so I pass the baton
There’s plenty fish and my net’s pretty long
So I drown my drip in a 5th of cologne
Slide to the bar where they these songs
And talk my shit till the birds come home
Baby, all night long in the cut having fun
Till run out of luck or find junk in the trunk

With Diáspora just around the corner, “Nu Lova” doesn’t just mark a new chapter – it reaffirms the spirit that’s always set NoMBe apart: fearless, fluid, and fiercely committed to the art of becoming.

Over a decade ago, I wrote about NoMBe’s breakout single “California Girls,” calling it that 2015’s song of the summer – “sultry and dark beat-driven, but melodically focused… a fusion of colorful styles…” and praising his “poetic, personal, emotional, and unique” lyrical flow. Ten years later, that captivating artistry remains – now deepened, sharpened, and fueled by even greater passion and purpose. “Nu Lova” feels both familiar and fresh: A sonic step forward, rooted in history but reaching for the future. NoMBe remains a strident sonic trailblazer, and “Nu Lova” exemplifies this as his beautifully bold first foray into disco.

“I want people to feel empowered in all aspects of life,” he says. “I want them to dance, feel the infectious bassline, and find a multifaceted song that works in many settings: the car, a BBQ, the club, or bedroom.” And behind the scenes, there’s no compromise – just relentless commitment to craft. “I’ve personally taken away that when you go through the trial and error, there is always a way to express yourself while also making catchy tunes. I have a hard time compromising in music, whether that’s arrangements or lyrics. So the answer has become obsession – until it hits all the marks.”

NoMBe’s story has always been one of evolution – of pushing boundaries while staying true to the self. With “Nu Lova,” he steps boldly into a vibrant new era defined by trust, liberation, and legacy, letting the groove guide the way. It’s a thrilling first taste of Diáspora, his most expansive and intentional body of work to date – and a celebration of Black heritage, personal healing, and creative freedom. Out July 2^nd via Position Music, Diáspora finds NoMBe not just reinventing his sound, but embracing it fully.

Below, he speaks with Atwood Magazine about the inspiration behind “Nu Lova,” the making of Diáspora, and the personal revelations that brought this radiant new era to life.

Seasons they change best believe
Like lovers
Like days of the week (baby)

Oooooh
Friday night you said goodbye
But then I went
Straight into Saturday and fell in love again
So let me introduce you to my

New, new, my new, new, new lover
Let me introduce you to my
New new, brand new, boo and lover

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:: stream/purchase Nu Lova here ::

:: connect with NoMBe here ::

:: stream/purchase DIÁSPORA here ::

— —

Stream: “Nu Lova” – NoMBe

A CONVERSATION WITH NoMBe

NoMBe: What’s up Mitch! That’s insane!!! Time flies! Honestly, I think this area feels a lot more grounded and in a sense, confident? I’m really leaning onto the music I’d want to hear myself, more than ever before. Plus fatherhood of course… it really changes your perspective.

Creatively, I think during the pandemic I got lost a bit and just creating for the ether. CHROMATOPIA felt like a massive release (no pun intended), but also left me wondering what’s next. However now, with Diáspora, I feel fully expressed in the best way.

NoMBe: Wow, thank you for the pick! “Nu Lova” is about coming out of a relationship with the mindset of not letting it derail you. Saying, I’m not going to sit around crying, I’m gonna get ready, go out, and meet someone new. It gives a slightly positive and cheeky spin break ups, where you almost feel a weight being lifted. My relationship at the time of writing had “withered” for quite some time, I think. Hence all the flower and spring analogies.

“New love, new hugs, no shrubs.. I pull out the weeds and the breeze takes them off…” I picked this song since it was the first complete demo that felt like “this is the direction for me.” It felt right and like I needed to make more of it, whatever it was. It summed up my vision perfectly.

NoMBe: Adding to what I mentioned earlier, the irony of “Nu Lova” is that the “new” person I fell for quickly became a pretty chaotic situationship. When that fell apart, somehow the track evolved into being about my now-wife. It’s strange how songs can keep evolving in that way.

Sonically, it started in Hawai’i, where I was living at the time, and I was practicing bass. I somehow had the idea for that progression, and it all effortlessly came together. I remember feeling nervous and giggity, because I found “that thing.” It only happens so often.

NoMBe: Aside from the nods to the 1970s and Black music found throughout Diáspora, I think it’s about trust. Trusting that what I instinctively felt good, would also resonate with people despite of what the expectations were. The entire record is the result of this letting go… I moved to Hawaii because I needed to quiet everything around me, to hear what I actually wanted to express. To me, that’s what art is… it’s deeply personal expression. It’s not about manufacturing success based on what someone has liked in the past. It’s scary, but it’s the only way I want to create.

NoMBe: I want people to feel empowered in all aspects of life. I want them to dance, feel the infectious bass line, and find a multifaceted song that works in many settings: The car, a BBQ, the club, or the bedroom.

I’ve personally taken away that when you go through the trial and error, there is always a way to express yourself while also making catchy tunes. I have a hard time compromising in music, whether that’s arrangements or lyrics. So to the answer has become obsession until it hits all the marks.

NoMBe: I’m so happy you’ve picked up on that… it’s hard to pinpoint one single thing, I’ve been conceptualizing this album since the end of They Might’ve Even Loved Me, even held certain ideas back. I knew that CHROMATOPIA was going to be a template or jumping-off point (I had traveled to Japan and researched what I wanted it to be at the time).

So similarly with Diáspora, I went to Brazil to tap into my obsession for their music of the ’60s and ’70s. I planned it. I took into account current events, my inspiration and heritage, connected with likeminded artists, read books, studied artwork, listened to ’70s classica in very focused sessions. I made very deliberate choices of what the palette was.

I think it was in 2021/22 I began telling people about the next album being “Anderson.Paak, Tame Impala & Daft Punk, meeting up in Brazil for a summer.”

… Ultimately, in my travels I discovered a solidarity and shared experience as a mixed, Black person in art. This realization glued it all together and gave it a bigger meaning than the sonics itself. Or so I hope at least!

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:: stream/purchase Nu Lova here ::

:: connect with NoMBe here ::

:: stream/purchase DIÁSPORA here ::

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Stream: “Nu Lova” – NoMBe

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