Sufjan Stevens! We love that guy! Yesterday was Sufjan Stevens’ 50th birthday, which is honestly fucked up. How does he still look like that? People aren’t supposed to look like that at any age. At the half-century mark, Stevens still resembles the best-looking guy in your freshman-year dorm. When last we heard from Stevens, he was saying that he’s “kind of embarrassed” of his decade-old masterpiece Carrie & Lowell. Nobody else feels that way. Doesn’t matter. Stevens hasn’t released any of his own music since 2023’s Javelin, but he’s still down to help out on records from his friends — Denison Witmer, Hannah Cohen, uh John Legend. Today, we get to hear from Stevens on a new single from the French musician Mina Tindle.

Mina Tindle is the stage name of Pauline de Lassus Saint-Geniès, the Parisian-born indie artist who’s been active for over a decade. She’s married to the National’s Bryce Dessner, and they make music together all the time, with Tindle singing on National records and Dessner working on Tindle’s music. Tindle released her most recent album Sister in 2020, and Sufjan Stevens appeared on her song “Give A Little Love.” Today, they’re back together on the new single “Heaven Thunder.”

“Heaven Thunder” is a lush, glimmering duet with a whole lot of synth in its production. Mina Tindle plays guitar and piano, while Sufjan Stevens adds more piano, as well as synths and beat programming. Bryce Dessner, the track’s producer, contributes acoustic and electric guitars, synths, bass programming, string arrangements, and still more piano. Check it out below.

Happy 50th birthday to Sufjan Stevens! 🎂

What’s your favorite Sufjan song?

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— Stereogum (@stereogum.bsky.social) July 1, 2025 at 8:35 PM