Aly & AJ release first single in 10 years, 'Take Me'
Sisters Aly and AJ Michalka rose to fame with their Disney Channel careers and subsequent Aly & AJ early-2000 albums Into the Rush and Insomniatic (who could forget “Potential Breakup Song”?) and haven’t released new music under that name in 10 years. But they’re finally back with the single “Take Me” off their upcoming EP.
Listen to the 80s-inspired, synth-y bop above.
Two years after their 2007 sophomore album Insomniatics, which peaked at 15 on the Billboard charts, the duo changed their name to 78violet. They attempted to release a self-titled album, but after departing from Hollywood Records in 2010, that never came to fruition. Under their new name, the sisters released a few more songs for a promised 2014 record — but again it never happened.
In a press release, the sisters explained their hiatus (more like on again-off again relationship) from music, saying the pressure was too much. “Aly and I felt personally discouraged by music in general,” AJ says. “We still had so much to prove to people, even though we had made a mark in the industry. It honestly was overwhelming,”
Aly elaborates, saying, “People have been wondering what took so long — and it sounds horrible — but music became an enemy to be honest. We were scared to write, we didn’t like what was coming out of our instruments — it felt like we weren’t going anywhere.”
In May, the duo announced that they were back in the studio creating new music. A version of the song was accidentally released onto Spotify in June. And although it was quickly removed, some fans were able to listen. Now, we all can.
