The Minnesota duo Now, Now are adept at finding sweet spots between nervy emo and shimmering, Carly Rae Jepsen-like pop, and they strike that balance once again on “MJ,” their new single from their upcoming album Saved. Vocalist KC Dalager struggles with a misbehaving partner, working through her feelings by communing with the King of Pop: “I know I’m not the only one who listens to you/Billie Jean, baby, please, he’s a criminal.” It’s the kind of hushed complaint you can imagine taking place in a closet shrine, a space decorated with votive candles and a well-preserved Thriller poster. The intimacy is countered by a galloping, boisterous beat that’s fleshed out with an array of snaps, claps, bells, and terse guitar riffs.

It’s tempting to define “MJ” by outlining everything it’s not. Dalager’s vocals stick to a simmer when letting them boil over would’ve turned the song into a glittering, night-sky anthem, and it’s not a snarling, Sleigh Bells-style stomper, either. It certainly doesn’t sound like anything in the Michael Jackson discography. But Dalager’s under-her-breath confessions and the chugging rhythm generate a constant tension, one that animates the song and compels you to try and crack its code. “MJ” may be unorthodox, but it’s a tribute Jackson would understand: a song you can’t get out of your head.