Madalen Duke and Mike Mac ignite pure adrenaline on “I See Red”
The Canadian artist Madalen Duke and producer Mike Mac reunite on “I See Red,” their second collaborative release under the Parasol Music label. The track is part of a Formula 1 campaign currently airing on Apple TV+, and from the very first second, it makes it clear that it was built to move at high speed.
“I See Red” works as a direct surge of adrenaline, opening with an unapologetically bold intro driven by tense synths, a solid electronic foundation, and a steady pulse that echoes the sound of an engine racing down the final straight. Madalen’s voice enters strong, powerful, and controlled, establishing a commanding presence that rides the intensity of the beat.
Madalen Duke, already known for her cinematic sound and placements in productions such as The Old Guard, Shameless, and Assassin’s Creed, maintains that aesthetic here while pushing it into more aggressive territory.
The creative spark for “I See Red” came directly from the production. When Madalen Duke heard the intro sound Mike Mac sent her, she felt an immediate surge of energy, associating it with the color red as a symbol of power and momentum. Rather than overthinking it, she trusted her instinctive reaction and let that emotion guide the lyrics, embracing a songwriting philosophy centered on feeling and intuition.
According to Mike, the collaboration flows naturally, with most of their writing sessions happening over FaceTime and Madalen recording her vocals independently. “I See Red” was developed and finished within hours, fueled by their shared love for high-impact electronic production and the idea of triggering an instant shift into another zone. He sees the track as the start of much more music to come from the duo.
The song comes from pure impulse, the feeling of pressing a button and activating another version of yourself. It places you at the edge, heart racing, eyes fixed on the finish line.
“I See Red” also reinforces Parasol Music’s identity as a label dedicated to music created for visual media. This is a song that is not only heard but also seen. It carries the structure of a campaign, a trailer, and an extreme competition sequence. That quality makes it effective within the Formula 1 context while also standing firmly as a strong single within both artists’ catalogs.
With “I See Red,” Madalen Duke and Mike Mac not only confirm that they work seamlessly as a creative duo but also elevate their partnership to a new level. While their version of “Don’t Cha” carried a bold aesthetic, this single solidifies their sound with authority. The production and vocal performance sustain tension until the very last second. “I See Red” arrives fast, hits hard, and makes it clear that both artists know exactly which buttons to push to ignite the engine.
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