Falling in love and being in love is a beautiful thing. It is a feeling most people in the world can relate to and the kind of stories people love to hear. Even more so is the breaking up aspect of love, the letting go challenge of being in a place and reminded of that love long after the storybook has ended.
Aloe Blacc, the Grammy-nominated singer, and songwriter from California has brought that image to his latest single, “Brooklyn In The Summer.” For him, Brooklyn is that place where memories of a former lover still sit, waiting for his return. The video released today is directed by Anthony Williams and was shot on the warm streets of Brooklyn, New York this past month. “Brooklyn In The Summer” is a soulful track about lost love and the idea of moving on in a city that holds nothing but memories, memories he wants nothing more than let go.
At the beginning of the video, an image of a fan whirls around in a hot room, Blacc is seen walking down the streets of Brooklyn as he passes neighbors on the sidewalk hanging out, girls sitting on the stairs braiding hairs. The colorful imagery reminds me of Spike Lee’s Do The Right Thing with shots of the neighborhood street, the people living their lives in the summertime and even the images of a hot summer day brings that movie to mind. Even Blacc’s lyrics (which he co-wrote) gives listeners vivid imagery in their minds with “Remember we sat in the cold, no money in my Montreal / Underneath that waterfall nobody else ever saw.”
Blacc, whose real name is Egbert Nathaniel Dawkins III debuted his first major label album Lift Your Spirit back in 2014 via XIX Recordings/Interscope Records. It then went on to debut at #4 on the Billboard Top 200 chart. He followed that album with his collaboration as vocalist and co-writer on “Wake Me Up” with the late DJ/producer Avicii. “Brooklyn in the Summer” is the first single off Blacc’s new album which is set to be released via XIX Recordings/Interscope Records later this year.
Watch “Brooklyn In The Summer” below.