<p>Francois van Coke has released the first of four planned new singles for 2026. Titled “Nagmerries (Bye bye baby),” the track arrives with an accompanying music video and sees the artist returning to a more introspective space, using the song to process a recurring nightmare tied to a difficult period in his life. “I’ve tried to let go of that time and that nightmare with this song,” van Coke explains, noting that since writing it, the dream has stopped, “maybe it worked.”</p>
<p>Written with longtime collaborator Fred den Hartog, the track also reflects on a more contemporary anxiety for artists across the spectrum: the growing presence of AI in creative spaces. Van Coke weaves this into the song’s lyrical framework, using it as a way to interrogate a broader human fixation on technology. Musically, van Coke draws from contrasting influences ranging from the raw energy of Violent Femmes to the theatrical weight of one of van Coke’s new favourite bands Ghost, giving the track a slightly off-kilter edge.</p>
<p>The music video, directed by Jacques van Rensburg (Vanartist), leans into the disorientation of dreaming. “We tried to capture what it feels like being in a dream. That frustrating feeling of when you fight, but the punches don’t land,” says van Coke about the video. Built around this futile sensation, the visuals mirror the song’s central tension. “Nagmerries (Bye bye baby)” feels like a catharsis, and as a starting point for van Coke’s year ahead, it sets the tone for exciting work to come.</p>
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