LA duo Haute & Freddy turn existential restlessness into a theatrical synth-pop rush on new single ‘Touch Touch’
Haute & Freddy make pop that feels like a fever dream you never quite want to wake up from. On “Touch Touch,” the Los Angeles duo’s glittering new single, they turn a late-night craving for connection into a theatrical synth-pop rush, chasing “some relief from simply existing” over a pulsing ’80s-indebted groove. It is the latest dispatch from one of the most distinctive new acts in pop, and it arrives with the confidence of a group that already knows exactly who it is.
The song lives in that restless small-hours space where exhaustion and desire blur together. “You said you know a bar that’s open even later than this,” goes one verse, sketching the familiar refusal to let the night end. The hook, a breathless plea for touch as an antidote to the weight of being alive, taps into something more existential than the average club anthem. Haute & Freddy have a gift for smuggling real anxiety inside irresistible melodies, and “Touch Touch” is a prime example.
Circus Aesthetics and ’80s Sparkle
That balance of fun and unease is central to who Haute & Freddy are. The duo, made up of vocalist Michelle Buzz, who performs as Haute, and percussionist Lance Shipp, known as Freddy, are known for a theatrical blend of ’80s-inspired synth-pop and vintage circus aesthetics. It is a maximalist, slightly surreal world, and “Touch Touch” fits right into it, pairing shimmering synths with the kind of emotional undertow that keeps their music from tipping into pure kitsch.
The pair have described their project as a kind of heightened performance space, a royal court of their own making where beauty and disgrace coexist. That sensibility runs through their 2026 album Big Disgrace and the run of singles that built their reputation, from “Scantily Clad“ and “Anti-Superstar” to “Shy Girl” and “Sophie.” “Touch Touch” extends the aesthetic while sharpening the songwriting, proof of a duo steadily refining a sound that already felt fully formed.
From Lollapalooza to the Official Video
The rollout has been as deliberate as the music. Haute & Freddy debuted “Touch Touch” live at Lollapalooza before its official release, testing the song’s euphoric build in front of a festival crowd and letting anticipation gather. The now-released official video, directed by Amalia Irons with cinematography by Jordan Pollak, gives the track its full visual world, matching the song’s heightened emotional pitch with the duo’s signature theatrical flair.
That live-first approach reflects how quickly Haute & Freddy have risen since debuting in late 2024. The Atlantic-signed duo have drawn early attention from tastemakers and peers alike, including a Valentine’s Day 2025 Los Angeles show with Hayley Kiyoko in the audience, and premieres from outlets like Paper and V. In a crowded pop landscape, their commitment to a complete aesthetic universe, one where every song, video, and performance feels part of the same strange and glamorous story, has set them apart.
“Touch Touch” is both a continuation and a statement of intent. It captures Haute & Freddy doing what they do best, turning the anxious, sleepless, endlessly scrolling reality of modern life into something you can dance to. Give me some relief from simply existing, the chorus pleads, and for three glittering minutes, the song delivers exactly that. “Touch Touch” is out now.
