GLU, the boundary-pushing solo project of Michael Shuman (best known as the bassist for Queens of the Stone Age and frontman of Mini Mansions), has returned today with a haunting, cinematic cover of Jennifer Paige’s 1998 hit “Crush.” The release coincides with the announcement that GLU has signed a new recording deal with FLG, joining a roster that includes Skunk Anansie and Corella. Shuman’s version strips away the upbeat ’90s production of the original, replacing it with the dark, electronic-alternative textures that have defined the project since its 2023 debut.
Shuman discussed the motivation behind tackling such a recognisable pop staple:
“Looking for the right cover song is an interesting task. You’re searching for a song which inherently is so deeply personal to the person who wrote it, yet it has to connect with you enough to try and make it your own. The music side is the fun part, where you augment it to a completely different landscape, giving a totally different perspective to the original. Crush is an amazing pop song, but was produced at a time where I don’t think it got its due. That being said, it was a huge hit that most of the world knows well, so when you play live to an audience who may not know your material, there’s that one song in the set they already are a fan of.”
The signing and new single follow a massive 2025 for Shuman, whose track “BOOGIE MAN” surpassed 3 million streams after being featured on the MLB The Show ’25 soundtrack. To celebrate the new era, GLU kicks off a run of UK dates tonight in Glasgow supporting The Blue Stones. Moving away from the guitar-heavy riffs of his primary bands, Shuman continues to use GLU to explore hip-hop beats and synths, a process he describes as both terrifying and essential for his creative growth.
