Wo, man
| "Wo, man" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Peggy Gou featuring Ayra Starr | ||||
| Released | 26 June 2026 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:20 | |||
| Label | XL | |||
| Songwriter(s) |
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| Producer(s) | Peggy Gou | |||
| Peggy Gou singles chronology | ||||
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| Ayra Starr singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Wo, man" on YouTube | ||||
Listen to the song Wo, man or Buy it on amazon
"Wo, man" is a song by South Korean recording artist and music producer Peggy Gou featuring Nigerian singer Ayra Starr. It was released on 26 June 2026 through XL Recordings as the duo's second collaboration of the year, following Gou's remix of Starr's single "Where Do We Go". Co-written by Gou and Starr alongside Adrian Hackshaw, Donel Mangena, Kofi Amponsah, Maty Noyes, and Michael Go, the track is a house, dance-pop and afropop song with a 1990s-style groove. Lyrically, it is built around themes of independence and shared joy, expressed through a chorus that addresses both women and men.
The song was preceded by live performances at Primavera Sound in Barcelona and the UNVRS club in Ibiza. Upon its release, "Wo, man" received positive reviews from music critics, who praised Gou's production, Starr's vocals, and the track's hook. An accompanying music video, directed by Onda and inspired by late-1990s and early-2000s fashion advertisements, was released alongside the single. To promote the track, Gou also hosted a one-day "Gou,tique" pop-up event in East London.
Background and release
"Wo, man" was written by Peggy Gou, Adrian Hackshaw, Donel Mangena, Kofi Amponsah, Maty Noyes, Michael Go, and Ayra Starr, with Gou also producing the track. John Ighodaro served as an additional mixing engineer alongside Gou. The song was mastered by Precision Productions.[2] "Wo, man" was Gou and Starr's second collaboration of 2026. Gou had remixed Starr's single "Where Do We Go" earlier in the year. She described "Wo,man" as an uplifting summer record. She had wanted a vocalist whose energy matched the production, and felt Starr brought "the perfect balance of sexiness and swag" to the record.[3] Speaking to Danny Howard on BBC Radio 1, Gou said she and Starr had not met before working on the song, only doing so afterward.[4]
Gou premiered "Wo, man" during her set at Primavera Sound in Barcelona.[5] On 9 June 2026, she announced the single on Instagram, sharing its cover art paired with an audio snippet of the song and revealing its release date.[6] Footage from her Primavera Sound performance continued to circulate online, including a clip shared by a fan account the following day. She played "Wo, man" again on 12 June, during her Midnight Lobster Club event at UNVRS in Ibiza.[7] Final teasers for the single and its music video followed on 25 June.[8]
"Wo, man" was released for digital download and streaming on 26 June 2026 through XL Recordings. Its accompanying music video was directed by Onda, with visuals drawing on late-1990s and early-2000s fashion advertisements.[9] To mark the release, Gou opened a one-day Gou,tique pop-up at Dream Bags Jaguar Shoes in East London, offering 200 items from her personal collection and 100 pieces of archival merchandise.[10]
Composition
"Wo, man" is four minutes and twenty-two seconds long and was composed in the key of A minor, set to a tempo of 123 beats per minute.[11] It is a house, dance-pop and afropop track that utilizes a 1990s-style groove. Max Pilley of NME described it as a "typically euphoric summer dancefloor anthem," and Gou's production as "restlessly energetic".[3] Aria Groove of Electronic Groove regarded the instrumental as "clean and balanced."[12] Writing for Uranium Waves, Tatiana Ariel observed that "Wo, man" blends Gou's "sleek electronic" sound with Starr's afropop vocal delivery, calling the result a "stylish crossover" suited equally to clubs and festival playlists.[13]
The song centers on a repeated vocal hook, "adigidang dang dang di dang," which music critics singled out. Stereogum's Margaret Farrell referred to the line as "delightfully nonsensical" yet instantly memorable.[9] Lyrically, the song revolves around themes of independence and shared joy, expressed through a chorus that addresses women and men in turn: "If you's a woman, I want you to clap your hand / And if you's a man, mister, I want you to understand."[14] The structure alternates between Starr's verses and choruses and a recurring post-chorus chant performed by Gou, before closing on a refrain inviting "all the girls" and "all the boys" to clap their hands.[14]
Music video
Development
The music video for "Wo, man" was directed by American filmmaker Kevin "Onda" Leyva, who worked alongside choreographer Rie Hata on the video's dance routines. It was produced by ProdCo and Freenjoy for XL Recordings, with production design by Michael Younker. Post-production was handled by Cabin Editing Company and Ethos, while Pendulum oversaw visual effects, with Andy Nguyen as VFX editor. The video's mixed-media animation was designed by Alex Petrican and animated by Evgenii Shelkovoi and Anna Marenkova.[15]
Synopsis
The video opens in a futuristic city, where Gou poses beside a black sports car on a reflective elevated road overlooking a skyline, wearing a black cropped top, leather trousers, sunglasses, and jewelry. The car bears a New York-style license plate reading "WO, MAN." The video then cuts to distorted street scenes in which a digitally altered cutout version of Gou walks through the city in a pale blue, lace-trimmed satin set, the buildings bending around her through a fisheye lens. In another scene, set against a dark background, she wears a red blazer-style top. Further shots show her driving the car through the same city setting. Starr is introduced in a separate setup, performing against a pale pink satin backdrop in a cream-colored crop top and matching skirt with teardrop pearl earrings. The video then shifts to a teal-lit subway platform, where a digitally altered cutout version of Starr appears in a dark mesh top and denim shorts, walking between two moving subway trains in an underground station. Gou and Starr later appear together for the first time, posing beside the black sports car on the elevated roadway, before being shown driving through the city together. The video also includes a number of choreography sequences: Gou is flanked by a group of dancers in eclectic streetwear set against a dark, light-filled skyline, while in a separate scene, the two artists perform together in a modern interior set with skyline views visible through the windows, both wearing matching blazer-and-miniskirt sets in different colors with Gou in red and Starr in teal. Dancers appear on the same pink satin set in colorful, early-2000s-inspired outfits. In the closing shots, Gou and Starr lean toward the lens against the open skyline, smiling and laughing as they seem to adjust the camera.
Reception
Erick Ycaza from Electro Wow compared the video's futuristic city setting to Kylie Minogue's 2001 video for "Can't Get You Out of My Head," stating: "In the best way possible, it gives off those same vibes, just with a much more modernized, crisp look." He attributed much of the video's visual cohesion to Gou's background as a certified fashion stylist, pointing out that the choreography, styling, and overall aesthetic were tightly coordinated. Ycaza lauded the dancing in particular, writing that it "completely steals the show."[16] Similarly, Margaret Farrell of Stereogum found that the music video "leans into late '90s and early '00s nostalgia," adding that its "playful paper-cut enlarged-head visuals" recall "the iconic Steve Madden ad campaigns of the era."[9]
Credits and personnel
Credits adapted from the single's official metadata liner notes.
Performers
- Peggy Gou – vocals
- Ayra Starr – vocals
Composition and lyrics
- Peggy Gou – songwriter
- Adrian Hackshaw – songwriter
- Donel Mangena – songwriter
- Matty Noyes – songwriter
- Michael Go – songwriter
- Oyinkansola Sarah Aderidigbe – songwriter
- Kofi Amponsah – songwriter
Production and engineering
- Peggy Gou – producer, mixing engineer
- John Ighodaro – mixing engineer
- Precision Productions – mastering engineer
Charts
| Chart (2026) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Global Dance Radio (Billboard/WARM)[17] | 16 |
| US Dance/Mix Show Airplay (Billboard)[18] | 18 |
References
- ↑ "Peggy Gou & Ayra Starr - Wo,man (Edit)". AOTY. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
- ↑ "Peggy Gou & Ayra Starr - Wo, man (Edit)". Tidal. 26 June 2026. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Pilley, Max (26 June 2026). "Peggy Gou taps the "uplifting energy of summer" for infectious single 'Wo,man' featuring Ayra Starr". NME. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
- ↑ Maeoka, Toshio (28 June 2026). "Peggy Gou Premieres New Song "Wo, man" featuring Ayra Starr on BBC Radio 1". pm studio world wide news (in 日本語). Retrieved 28 June 2026.
- ↑ ""Wo,man" - Peggy Gou feat. Ayra Starr 💜". Instagram. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
- ↑ "My new single 'Wo,man' featuring Ayra Starr dropping 26th June 💜". Instagram. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
- ↑ "THIS FRIDAY! Peggy Gou releases WO,MAN". Instagram. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
- ↑ "My new single 'Wo,man' ft. Ayra Starr coming on Friday! we are on our way to pick you up 💜". Instagram. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Farrell, Margaret (26 June 2026). "Peggy Gou And Ayra Starr Connect For New Singles "Wo, man"". stereogum.com. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
- ↑ Rowland-Dixon, Taye (25 June 2026). "Peggy Gou Launches "gou,Tique" London Pop-up: Free Mystery Fashion Drop, Dj Sets & Exclusive Merch Giveaway! - Entertainment". Verge Magazine. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
- ↑ "Peggy Gou, Ayra Starr - Wo, man (Original Mix) [XL Recordings] | Music & Downloads on Beatport". www.beatport.com. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
- ↑ Groove, Aria (29 June 2026). "Peggy Gou teams up with Ayra Starr on new single 'Wo,man'". Electronic Groove. Retrieved 30 June 2026.
- ↑ "New Music Friday: 10 Major Releases You Need to Stream Today". Uranium Waves. 26 June 2026. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 "Peggy Gou & Ayra Starr – Wo, man (Edit)". Genius. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
- ↑ "W168 "Wo, man" music video directed by @onda for @peggygou_ starring @peggygou_ & @ayrastarr". Instagram. Retrieved 29 June 2026.
- ↑ Ycaza, Erick (27 June 2026). "House Music Beats Drive Peggy Gou And Ayra Starr's "Wo, man"". Electro Wow. Retrieved 29 June 2026.
- ↑ "Peggy Gou Chart History (WARM Global Dance Radio)". Billboard. Retrieved 21 July 2026.
- ↑ "Peggy Gou Chart History (Dance Mix/Show Airplay)". Billboard.
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